https://www.manisteenews.com/local-news/article/Health-department-releases-initial-COVID-15822988.php
Health department releases initial COVID vaccination plan
Bradley Massman, bmassman@hearstnp.com
Published 6:00 pm EST, Tuesday, December 22, 2020
MANISTEE COUNTY – District Health Department No. 10 officials have been working hard to develop a distribution plan for when the first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine arrives.
Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the COVID-19 vaccine will be prioritized in the following way:
• Phase 1A includes:
1. Persons serving in healthcare settings with high risk for COVID exposure: EMS staff, medical first responders, and DHD No.10 vaccine clinic staff.
2. Residents of long-term care facilities: Many long-term care facilities are partnering with CVS or Walgreens to receive the vaccine. For those who are not partnering with pharmacies, DHD No. 10 will provide the vaccine to residents
3. Residents of homes for the aged and adult foster care centers.
4. Other health workers who conduct high-risk procedures, have direct contact with patients, and have skills critical to keeping the healthcare system functioning.
• Phase 1B includes:
1. Essential workers such as: Police, firefighters, corrections officers, education sector, food and agriculture and utilities.
• Phase 1C includes:
1. Adults with high-risk medical conditions.
2. Adults 65 and older.
• Phase 2 includes:
1. Remainder of Phase 1 population.
2. Critical populations.
3. General population.
"District Health Department No. 10 has established a COVID-19 Vaccination Planning Team that has been working daily to develop our plans for distributing the COVID-19 vaccine when it arrives," said Kevin Hughes, health officer for DHD No. 10. "Our goal is to get it to the priority groups as soon as possible without delay."
The health department's COVID-10 vaccine distribution plan is as follows, which is subject to change:
DHD No. 10 will be receiving the Moderna vaccine in the first shipment, set to arrive the week of Dec. 21.
MDHHS was responsible for making the determinations for where the first doses of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines would be distributed. The Pfizer vaccine should be available for use by DHD No. 10 when the subsequent vaccine orders are placed.
DHD No. 10 will begin vaccinating Phase 1A priority groups the week of Dec. 28, beginning with:
• EMS and medical first responders.
• Residents of long-term care facilities who have not partnered with pharmacies for their vaccine.
• DHD No. 10 vaccination clinic staff.
The health department will notify each priority group directly on the specifics of date, time and location. There is no early sign-up or registration. DHD No. 10 is currently planning for vaccine distribution for all other priority groups and will notify each group on scheduled vaccine clinics.
It is anticipated that the COVID-19 vaccination will be readily available for the general public in the spring or summer of 2021.
Priority phases are subject to change.