PRESS RELEASE: The Calhoun County Public Health Department (CCPHD) is expecting to receive the first round of the Pfizer vaccine the week of Dec. 14. 

Due to the limited supply, MDHHS has prioritized how the vaccine will be distributed. 

Distribution of the vaccine in Michigan will be in a phased approach as all indications note that it will be several months before supply increases enough to vaccinate everyone.

Initial Priority Groups are as follows:

Phase 1A includes paid and unpaid persons serving in health care settings who have 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.

Phase 1B includes some workers in essential and critical industries, including workers with unique skill sets such as non-hospital or non-public health laboratories and mortuary services.

Phase 1C includes people at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness due to underlying medical conditions, and people 65 years and older.

Phase 2 is a mass vaccination campaign for all adults (current estimates are late Spring 2021 once enough vaccine is available). 

Why are essential workers receiving the vaccine before the general public?

Essential workers keep systems critical to public health and safety functioning. Workers in essential and specific industries are considered part of America’s critical infrastructure, as defined by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. 

Many of these workers have jobs that require significant person-to-person interactions. 

Current data show that many of these workers are at increased risk for getting COVID-19. Early vaccine access is critical not only to protect them from becoming ill, but also to maintain the essential services they provide to U.S. communities. 

The vaccine will be available to the general public when supply substantially increases in 2021, possibly in late spring. 

The CCPHD has been working in conjunction with local partners to identify potential candidates to receive the vaccine in this first phase. We will continually update the public as we proceed through our vaccination efforts.

 To learn more about CCPHD services, contact us via phone (269-969-6990), visit CCPHD online at (www.calhouncountymi.gov/publichealth), or like us on Facebook (CCPublicHeatlhDepartment)

Pictured is Yvette Kamana, ICU RN at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids getting her COVID-19 vaccination Monday, Dec. 14.