A COVID-19 vaccine will be critical in slowing the spread and helping communities recover from the pandemic. Stopping a pandemic will take ALL our tools: handwashing, masks, social distancing, and vaccines. Taken together, these tools offer the best chance of getting our communities, schools, and work sites back to normal sooner. Please remember we will need to continue using prevention strategies as a vaccine becomes available and for some time after.

Vaccine manufacturers will release a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines during the first few months that they are available. As the local health department, we are responsible for supporting emergency vaccine distribution and have plans in place to do so. These plans include determining appropriate sites centrally located and/or across the county.

Priorities and phases in Michigan

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that residents and employees of nursing homes and similar facilities and health care workers be the first people in the United States to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention develop prioritization guidelines based on input from the ACIP. States have the option to tailor vaccine priorities for their state. 

(Updated 1/6/21) Michigan has released prioritization guidance in accordance with the ACIP:

1. Phase 1A includes paid and unpaid persons serving in health care settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials and are unable to work from home, as well as residents of long-term care facilities.
2. Phase 1B [now] includes people 65 years of age or older and [some but not all] frontline essential workers in critical infrastructure. 
3. Phase 1C includes people 65 years of age or older, people 16 years of age or older at high risk of severe illness due to COVID-19 infection, and some other essential workers whose position impacts life, safety, and protection during the COVID-19 response.
4. Phase 2 is a mass vaccination campaign for all individuals 16 years and older. 

By Jan. 11, 2021, all areas of the state may, as vaccine supplies are available, implement vaccination of people who are health care workers or working or residing in long-term care facilities (Phase 1A Priority One and Three), age 65 years or older (Phase 1 B Group A and Phase 1C Group A), or frontline workers whose work role has frequent or intense exposure, and, due to the nature of the work, are not able to maintain social distance (including frontline responders, school and child care staff, or corrections staff) (Phase 1B Group B). Vaccination will take place in different phases that occurs simultaneously. 

Please note that even if you are eligible, vaccine availability will depend on vaccine supply & staffing capacity. Continue to check this webpage and our social media pages for the most recent updates and further instructions for getting your vaccine.

Resources & Further Information

See these state resources for more details:

• Michigan Prioritization Guidance 
• Michigan Vaccine FAQ document
• Michigan.gov/COVIDVaccine

Additional information:

• Updates from Michigan Medicine
• Updates from Saint Joseph Mercy Health
• Vaccination information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Information for health care providers can be found here.

This page is frequently updated as new information becomes available.