Shelby Review

Michiganders aged 50 and older, who have an underlying health conditions or a disability, will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday, March 8, according to a report by Bridge Michigan.

Last month, the state outlined the types of health conditions that would be prioritized as the amount of people permitted to receive the inoculation grows. The list includes: COPD, hypertension, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes and obesity. Smokers are also included since they are considered to be at a higher risk of being hospitalized or dying from COVID-19. 

"We get flooded with people who want to tell us why they should be prioritized (for a vaccine) because of their health conditions," Susan Ringler-Cerniglia, Washtenaw County Health Department spokesperson, told Bridge Michigan.

Ringler-Cerniglia believes the expansion in vaccine accessibility announced by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer earlier this week would be comforting for more residents. 

The state has not said whether people would have to provide proof, such as medical records, of their medical condition. 

Dr. Tiffany Sanford, The Wellness Plan Medical Centers chief medical officer, said she hasn't received any direction when it comes to checking records for people who aren't patients of The Wellness Plan. However, the people who are making appointments online are questioned about any chronic conditions.

"Ultimately, it's about getting vaccines in as many arms as possible," Sanford told Bridge Michigan. "I've instructed my staff not to nitpick the details over a patient. If we have a vaccine left from a person we had to turn away, that's a vaccine that we have to find someone else to give."

Whitmer's expansion announcement also noted that every Michigan resident as young as 50 would be permitted to get vaccinated in the weeks to come. If that's the case, 20% of the state's population would be eligible to get inoculated against COVID-19. 

The news came as more doses of the vaccine are arriving in the Wolverine State.  Health officials expect to receive enough to vaccinate 500,000 people, which is more than than double the amount that the state had been receiving each week for the last month or so.

As of earlier this week, 834,000 people in Michigan had received both doses of the vaccine, and 1.46 million residents had received the first shot, Bridge Michigan reported.