COVID-19 vaccine booster shots now available in Michigan to anyone 18 and older

ADRIAN — COVID-19 vaccine booster shots are now available in Michigan for anyone 18 and older as Lenawee County's weekly new case count has reached a new high for the pandemic.

Following FDA approval, recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the endorsement of the CDC director, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is urging all eligible Michiganders to get a Johnson & Johnson, Moderna or Pfizer booster vaccine if they have received their primary COVID-19 vaccines.

"Vaccines are the way out of the pandemic, and now we can protect ourselves further from COVID-19 which is currently surging in our state,” Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive, said in a news release. "There is an ample supply of vaccines available, and we urge all eligible Michiganders to get their booster dose as soon as possible."

Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose, the release said. Some people may prefer the vaccine type they originally received and others may prefer to get a different type of booster vaccine. The CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots. People should consult their health care provider if there is a question about which vaccine is appropriate.

Michiganders should bring their COVID-19 vaccine card or immunization record with them when getting their booster dose, which are available at any vaccine provider. Downloadable immunization records are accessible free at the online Michigan Immunization Portal at michigan.gov/MiImmsportal. To obtain their record, Michiganders must create a MILogin account at the portal and upload a valid, government-issued photo ID such as a driver's license, state ID or passport. Those who do not have records in the portal should contact their health care provider or local health department.

As previously recommended, Michiganders with moderately to severely compromised immune systems should receive an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 28 days after a second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. This additional dose is intended to improve the response of people who are immunocompromised to their initial vaccine series.

To date, more than 5.6 million Michiganders ages 5 and older have had at least their first dose of one of the three COVID-19 vaccines. More than 1.1 million booster and third doses have been administered to date, making the state 7th nationwide in booster doses, the release said.

From January to Nov. 5, unvaccinated Michiganders accounted for 88% of COVID cases, 88.2% of hospitalizations and 87.7% of deaths. Many Michiganders are still in need of the extra protection provided by booster doses, including residents of long-term care facilities where outbreaks can spread quickly and extra protection is strongly recommended.

New record for weekly new cases

In Lenawee County, the CDC reported 751 new cases of COVID-19 for the seven days ending on Thursday. With a population just under 100,000, that is equal to a rate of 763 new cases per 100,000 people per week. The previous high was 646 new cases per 100,000 for the week ending May 19, 2020. The surge in April peaked at 617 new cases per week. The surge last Thanksgiving peaked at 585 cases per week.

The Lenawee County Health Department reported five deaths from COVID-19 in the week ending Friday, bringing the county to 209 deaths since the pandemic began.

The MDHHS reported Friday that there were 18 COVID patients at ProMedica Hickman Hospital in Adrian Township, with five of those in intensive care. The hospital was at 91% capacity.

The CDC says 56.5% of Lenawee County residents ages 12 and older have received either two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The MDHHS on Friday issued an advisory that recommends everyone 2 years old and older wear masks while indoors in order to limit the spread of the COVID virus because of the amount of community transmission within the state. The data-tracking website mistartmap.info said there were 666.6 news cases per 100,000 people statewide for the week ending Thursday.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: COVID-19 vaccine boosters available in Michigan to anyone 18 and older