Businesses could not require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and also could not require unvaccinated people to wear protective masks under a
Credit Spectrum Health
Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced Monday that 55% of Michiganders have received their first dose of the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.
The announcement marks the first milestone of the “MI Vacc to Normal” plan, which would enable in-person work to resume across all employment sectors on May 24.
Whitmer released a video on social media congratulating Michiganders for achieving this important step and encouraged others to get vaccinated to help the state get back to normal.
I’m excited to announce that 55% of Michiganders have gotten their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. This is a huge milestone in getting #MIVaccToNormal and means that on May 24 we can return to in-person work. If you haven’t yet, please schedule a vaccine appointment today. pic.twitter.com/Q827k3Rhii
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Not all COVID-19 vaccine programs in Michigan were designed with people with disabilities in mind, says Jim Moore, the executive director of Disability Network Northern Michigan.
But his group is working with local health departments to make vaccines more easily accessible for people with disabilities. Moore says it’s a process that will help everyone.
“Some of the things that we do for people with disabilities, people in general would appreciate as well,” he says. “It’s a stressful situation at times for anyone.”
Many of the changes he’s suggesting are simple, he says, like spelling out the process of getting vaccinated on a website so people can know what to expect before their appointment, or letting people fill out paperwork in advance.
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Leelanau County has vaccinated 52% of its 16-years-and-older population, according to the latest figures from the state Department of Health and Human Services.
Lisa Peacock, the health officer for the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department, said she and her staff achieved the milestone with community support.
“We never know for certain exactly why things happen, but I can tell you for certain that in Leelanau County, we’ve just had such great partnerships throughout this entire pandemic response,” she said.
Peacock said those partnerships started at the beginning of the pandemic, when people volunteered to help hang up the signs announcing screening and masking requirements for employees. She said it continues with teenagers talking to their classmates about how to protect their families from the virus, and neighboring health departments donating vaccine doses.
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Health care providers in Michigan have been given the go-ahead to administer the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. That’s as Michigan faces some of the worst coronavirus hotspots in the country.
Michigan health officials lifted a pause on the J-and-J vaccine based on advice from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC determined getting more people vaccinated outweighs the very remote risk of developing a blood clot.
Doctor Joneigh Khaldun is Michigan’s chief medical executive. She says the pause should instill more confidence in the COVID vaccines.
“So, I’m actually quite pleased by the process and the fact that our robust safety monitoring system for these vaccines works,” she told the Michigan Public Radio Netwrok.