Macomb County Launches Drive-Through Vaccination Site For Seniors

MACOMB COUNTY, MI — Macomb County is partnering with local transportation and health networks to create a drive-through COVID-19 vaccination site to help senior citizens be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The Macomb County Health Department on Friday announced a partnership with SMART and Richmond/Lenox EMS that will create a drive-through COVID-19 vaccination site in northern Macomb County. The site will be dedicated to vaccinating people aged 65 and older, officials said.

“Seniors are an at-risk population for COVID-19,” Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel said in a statement. “They are one of our top priorities and we continue to look for innovative and safe ways to vaccinate these individuals while keeping them safe. This partnership is just one solution and I am thrilled to see both SMART and Richmond/Lenox EMS come on board to help us."

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Friday's announcement comes after the county on Thursday said it was partnering with Meijer in a similar effort to vaccinate senior citizens in Macomb County. Meijer was previously chosen by the State of Michigan as an initial pharmacy partner to help administer COVID-19 vaccines. The grocery store chain has already vaccinated more than 20,000 Michiganders against the coronavirus.

County officials said the drive-through vaccination site is not open for walk-up or drive-up traffic, noting that appointments are being booked through outreach to the nearly 1,500 seniors in the SMART Macomb County rider database. SMART will provide transportation to the site for those that request assistance.

“As a critical and essential service, SMART is proud to support the efforts being made across the region to ensure people have access to COVID-19 vaccines,” SMART Board Chairman Khalil Rahal said. “Transportation can be a significant barrier to senior citizens and SMART is committed to bridge that gap with transit services, other support and resources from SMART and our dozens of Community Transit Partners.”

The vaccination site, which is provided by Richmond/Lenox EMS, will open for operations next week, officials said. A trained team of medical professionals from the EMS service will administer all vaccinations.

“At Richmond/Lenox EMS, our focus is not only on responding to emergencies but preventing them,” said Jeffrey White, Chief of EMS, Richmond and Lenox Townships. “One of our annual initiatives has been to partner with the Macomb County Health Department to provide drive-through flu immunizations. Given our experience in this regard, we believe our agency is uniquely qualified to carry out this new life-saving mission.”

Once vaccinations have been provided to all interested seniors in the SMART rider database, officials said the county will work with community partners to identify senior citizens who want to receive the vaccine and assist them in scheduling appointments.

The county will continue to partner with SMART on vaccination efforts to ensure access to vaccines for senior populations, officials said Friday.