Michigan Medicine will begin vaccinating patients over the age of 65 next week

ANN TREE – Michigan Medicine intends to start administering the COVID-19 vaccine to patients 65 years of age or older as it moves into its new priority phase next week.

Starting Monday, the health system will begin sending invitations to its patients in this age group under the care of a primary care provider in Michigan Medicine to schedule appointments through the MyUofMHealth portal or by mail. Those who have had a visit with any Michigan drug provider in the past two years are also eligible to receive the vaccine.

Michigan Medicine vaccination sites are closed to the public and require an appointment.

Each week, the available appointments will depend on the supply, but the health system hopes to provide all patients in this group who intend to receive the vaccine to receive it in the next two to three months.

Michigan Medicine will advance at this stage in partnership with the state, local health departments and other health systems in our region to work to vaccinate our community as soon as possible, ”said Sandro Cinti, MD, one of Michigan Medicine’s leaders. distribution of vaccines and professor of infectious diseases at UM Medical School, said in a statement.

“We would not have nearly completed Phase 1A without the partnership with all of these groups, including the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.”

Over 200,000 patients fall into category 65 and over in the state of Michigan. Invitations to schedule the first dose of vaccine will be sent in batches, subject to availability.

To date, Michigan Medicine has received 21,700 doses of Pfizer Inc./BioNTech vaccine and vaccinated 13,863 Phase 1A individuals, including physicians, medical staff, and health care students in accordance with state and federal guidelines.

Over the next few days, thousands of appointments are already scheduled – some for secondary doses – as Michigan Medicine works to consume as much of its current vaccine as possible. It is estimated that it manages over 90% of its supply each week.

More shipments are expected next week, but the exact number of vaccines received is unknown. Michigan Medicine hopes to step up its efforts to deliver 3,400 vaccinations daily to multiple locations, depending on supply.

Michigan Stadium was recently opened as a vaccination site. Michigan Medicine administers vaccines seven days a week, with plans to add campus locations.

“This is a major step in our effort to fight the COVID-19 virus,” Cinti said in a statement. We are thrilled that we can provide this vaccine to rescue vulnerable patients. Our best tactic to fight this pandemic is to provide this safe and effective vaccine to as many people as possible. In doing so, we also support vaccination efforts for communities across the state. “

Reaching out to communities of color is a top priority for Michigan Medicine, which has launched a strong community outreach effort, including a free virtual town hall on January 16 entitled “COVID-19 and the African American Community.”

“It’s crucial to engage everyone in an open conversation about the safety and effectiveness of this vaccine, but especially for those communities of color that have long-standing concerns and mistrust because of past vaccination experiences,” said Tony Denton, senior vice president and the operational director of the University of Michigan Health System, which leads the community’s information and education efforts, said in a statement.

We recognize that these concerns exist and we want to remove any barriers and provide factual information to ensure the fair and ethical delivery of health care to all populations. We aim to invite and involve color communities in open discussions to address fears, review the science of clinical trials, and build trust for individuals and families to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine. This is one of the most important public health efforts in our lives. We aim to make a real difference in addressing fair access. “

The transition to vaccination of people aged 65 or over is part of Phase 1B of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan. On Wednesday, state officials authorized the distribution of vaccines to the priority group starting Monday.

Michigan Medicine is responsible for inoculating the entire University of Michigan community at the three campuses in Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint.

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