Vax Facts Update

Image courtesy DHD#10 website

Health Dept. continuing to vaccinate Phase 1A; Preparing for Phase 1B

From our friends at DHD#10:
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January 6, 2021 – District Health Department #10 continues to vaccinate individuals in Phase 1A of the priority group. To date, we have vaccinated approximately 604 individuals including DHD#10 staff, EMS, Medical First Responders, and Medical Care Facilities. 

As we are now on a schedule to receive additional vaccine weekly, and under MDHHS recommendations, we are expanding our effort to all of Phase 1A priority groups.  Clinics are scheduled this week for the health care provider priority group in Phase 1A and from they will be on a rolling weekly schedule. 

Because our vaccine supply is severely limited, we are targeting our efforts to the highest risk workers until the supply picks up and are asking that health care providers adhere to only registering staff who have direct patient contact. As our vaccines pick up, and as we receive second dose allotments, we will increase clinics to meet the new need including non-traditional clinic days/hours. While vaccine supplies are limited, vaccine clinics are invite-only and are scheduled at specific times. They are not walk-in vaccination clinics.

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 in long-term care facilities.
Phase 1A is broken down to three priority groups:

• Priority One: Keep critical health care infrastructure open and functioning (i.e., hospitals, critical care units, and emergency medical response systems) through vaccination of staff who perform direct patient care and work in critical areas including:
  • Group A: Emergency medical service providers, including medical first responders
  • Group B: General medical floor
  • Group C: Emergency department
  • Group D: Intensive care units
• Priority Two: Prevent outbreaks and protect residents in long-term care facilities.
  • Group A: Vaccinate workers who have direct contact with large number of vulnerable residents. Note this would include staff who come in and out of the buildings.
    • Skilled nursing facility staff
    • Psychiatric hospital staff
    • Homes for aged staff
    • Adult foster care centers staff
    • Assisted living facility staff
    • Home health care workers caring for high-risk clients with large patient loads (e.g. people with a tracheostomy/ventilator at home)
  • Group B: Vaccinate vulnerable residents in long-term care facilities
    • Skilled nursing facility residents
    • Psychiatric hospitals patients
    • Homes for aged residents
    • Adult foster care centers residents
    • Assisted living facility residents
• Priority Three: Keep necessary health care infrastructure functioning.
  • Group A: Vaccinate workers with direct patient contact who conduct high risk procedures (e.g., dentists, endoscopy, dialysis).
  • Group B: Vaccinate other workers who have direct patient contact, including outpatient, urgent care, ambulatory care, and home health care.
  • Group C: Vaccinate workers with specialized skills critical to health care system functioning who have indirect patient contact (e.g. hospital and public health laboratories, pharmacy, and medical waste handlers).

PHASE 1B
DHD#10 is currently working on planning for Phase 1B vaccination clinics. We will launch a pre-registration process for individuals to schedule their vaccine and will notify those in Phase 1B when it is launched. Again, while vaccine supplies are limited, vaccine clinics are invite-only and are scheduled at specific times. They are not walk-in vaccination clinics. PLEASE NOTE: Pre-registration for Phase 1B has not launched yet. There is no early registration or sign-up. We will notify the public via press release, social media, our website at www.dhd10.org/covid-19-vaccine,  and our Public Health Alert. If you have not subscribed to our Public Health Alert, please do so at www.dhd10.org/subscribe. We ask for your patience as we prepare for Phase 1B.

PHASE 1B includes:

• Persons age 65 and older
• Some frontline essential workers including: 
  • Police officers
  • First responders
  • Frontline state and federal workers 
  • Jail and prison staff 
  • Pre-K-12 teachers and childcare providers

​We thank you for your patience as we developed our plan through all of the complexities of changing guidance and limited vaccine allocations.

Michigan residents seeking more information about the COVID-19 vaccine can visit Michigan.gov/COVIDvaccine. Locally, go to www.dhd10.org/covid-19-vaccine where you may find answers to your questions. For COVID-related questions, email us at covid@dhd10.org or call our COVID Hotline at 231-305-8675.

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