LANSING, Mich. (WWJ) -- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has issued an executive directive to state departments and agencies to begin preparing the state’s vaccine response as Michigan gears up to administer COVID-19 booster shots next month.
The executive directive places an emphasis on the state’s elderly residents as the governor specifically directs the state to “prioritize booster doses beginning with residents in long-term care facilities, including nursing homes and adult foster care.
The Biden Administration recently announced plans to begin offering booster shots starting Sept. 20 to all Americans whose second dose was at least eight months prior.
On that date, Michigan will begin offering booster shots for those who have received their second doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines on or before Jan. 20.
Whitmer says the state has an ample supply to meet the projected demand for booster vaccines, as well as those looking to get their first doses. The governor also says the state has the experience to distribute more vaccines, thanks to last year’s vaccine rollout.
“Last year, we built the largest vaccine program in our state’s history in record time to ensure that anyone who wanted a vaccine could get one,” Whitmer in a press release Wednesday. “With booster doses on the horizon, we are reactivating our close partnerships with local health departments and pharmacies to get shots in arms as quickly as possible.”
“We know that this virus still disproportionately affects older Michiganders, which is why I’m also prioritizing booster shots for residents in nursing homes and long-term care facilities,” she said.
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Sept. 20 will mark an expansion of booster doses, as the state has been working to get third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to Michiganders with compromised immune systems since Aug. 14. That includes, but is not limited to, individuals who have received organ or stem cell transplants, have advanced or untreated HIV infection, or are in active treatment for cancer or taking high-dose corticosteroids.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with the U.S. Surgeon General and the Food and Drug Administration, announced on Aug. 18 they had concluded that booster shots of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be needed to maximize the protection the vaccines provide against the virus.
Michigan’s chief medical executive, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, says the COVID-19 vaccines continue to be “incredibly effective” in reducing the risk of severe disease, hospitalization and death, including against the surging Delta variant.
“Many vaccines, not just COVID vaccines, are associated with a reduction in protection over time, and the FDA, CDC and U.S. Surgeon General have determined that additional vaccine doses could be needed to provide long lasting protection against the virus,” Khaldun said. “These booster doses are an opportunity to stay ahead of the virus and its variants, and protect Michiganders from COVID-19.”
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Hertel says vaccine providers across the state are actively preparing to administer the booster shots.
“Available data shows a decrease in protection over time and a booster dose may be needed to better fight the virus, especially as it continues to evolve into more aggressive variants,” Hertel said. “For those who have not received their first dose, I urge you to do so as soon as possible. The vaccine remains our best protection against the virus and it is the way we are going to end the pandemic together.”
Michigan residents seeking more information about the COVID-19 vaccine can visit Michigan.gov/COVIDVaccine. Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.