LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Protect Michigan Commission have awarded 35,800 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 22 pilot projects in an effort to help enhance the state’s vaccine equity strategy.
The goal of the program is to help remove barriers to vaccine access for Michiganders 60 and older who live in communities with high Social Vulnerability Index and high COVID-19 mortality rates, according to a news release Tuesday.
If providers have additional capacity in their project, they may expand vaccination to include people age 50-59 with disabilities or comorbid conditions.
SVI is a tool that uses census data to identify places where a community may have more difficulty preventing human suffering and financial loss in a disaster.
It assesses the extent that 15 known indicators are present within a community based on socioeconomic status, family composition and disability, minority status and language, housing and transportation.
“We want to make sure all Michiganders have access to the safe and effective vaccines as we work toward our goal of vaccinating 70% of Michiganders age 16 and up as quickly as possible,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health with MDHHS. “I want to thank everyone who submitted an application to support these efforts and to help increase vaccinations for those most at risk of negative COVID-19 outcomes. I look forward to more outreach to vulnerable communities as vaccine supplies increase. Your ability to get a vaccine should not be impacted by whether you are in a rural or urban part of the state, are lower income, are living with a disability, are not fluent in English, or don’t have access to a car, a computer or the internet.”
Michigan providers were encouraged to apply if they could help remove barriers for those ages 60 and up who are most vulnerable to the effects of the virus.
More than 70 applications were received.
A volunteer panel from the Protect Michigan Commission, which included community professionals, completed the review of applications and selected the awardees, which could request up to 2,500 vaccine doses.
The following organizations are participating in the community outreach pilot project:
- Alma Family Practice, P.C. – Gratiot County
- Advanced Pharmacy – Kalamazoo County
- Allegan County Health Department – Allegan County
- Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) – Wayne County
- Bay-Arenac Behavioral Health Authority – Bay County
- Calhoun County Public Health Department – Calhoun County
- Covered Bridge Healthcare – St. Joseph County
- Cristo Rey Family Health Center – Ingham County
- Dearborn Fire Department – Wayne County
- Genoa Healthcare – Oakland County
- Henry Ford Health System – Macomb, Wayne, Jackson, Oakland counties
- Ingham County Health Department – Ingham County
- Kent County Health Department – Kent County
- Mid-Michigan Health – Alcona, Alpena, Clair, counties
- Northwest Michigan Health Services, Inc. – Oceana, Mason, Manistee, Benzie counties
- Saginaw County Health Department – Saginaw County
- Region VII Area Agency on Aging – Saginaw County
- Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital – Schoolcraft County
- Clair County Health Department – St. Clair County
- Wayne Health – Wayne County
- Washtenaw County Health Department – Washtenaw County
- Western Wayne Family Health Center – Wayne County
Providers are expected to receive the vaccine this week.
SEE MORE: CORONAVIRUS IN WEST MICHIGAN