Covid-19 Update

We are receiving many questions about the covid19 vaccines, so I will attempt to answer some here. Many people are wondering when and where they can receive it. This is more or less how it works: the federal government has set prioritization guidelines, given the current limited supply of vaccines. These guidelines have the goal of keeping healthcare systems running, and protecting the most vulnerable, in an equitable way.

Individual states may set their own guidelines. They receive the vaccines from the federal government, and distribute them to health care systems, and to some drugstores (CVS, Walgreens) to be used for patients and staff in long term facilities. To check out the Michigan guidelines, click on the link. below. Michigan healthcare systems are vaccinating according to the MI guidelines, with priority to healthcare workers, residents and staff of long-term facilities, older patients with medical problems, essential workers, to eventually low risk individuals. The timeline of vaccinations may very well change as vaccines become more available, and tiers may overlap. The Biden administration announced yesterday that starting on February 11, vaccines will be distributed directly to retail drugstores across the country.

In my healthcare system, all healthcare workers have been offered the vaccine, with the vast majority taking it. The system is reaching out to patients at highest risk, by email, phone, text or MyChart, and many have been vaccinated. When the vaccine becomes available in drugstores, the same principles will apply, and people will need to register to check eligibility, and make an appointment to get vaccinated, at least until more vaccines are available.

Do you have any questions? Post them online and I will attempt to answer.

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