Michigan's Vaccine Rollout Hits New Milestone With 7M Vaccinated

LANSING, MI — More than half of all eligible Michigan residents have received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist said Monday.

The milestone means the state is inching closer to allowing all office work to return to normalcy, as according to a plan announced previously by the Whitmer administration, workers can return to the office once 55 percent of eligible residents have been vaccinated.

“Today, Michigan will surpass seven million doses administered of the safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines,” Whitmer said in a statement Monday. “We’ve put shots in arms of 1 in 2 Michiganders 16 and up and over 1 in 3 are fully vaccinated, including 2 in 3 seniors. Our rollout continues to speed up. We administered six million doses in just over four months.

" As we get closer to achieving our goal of equitably vaccinating 70% of Michiganders 16 and up, we have to remember that we are still in this fight against the virus. Our case count and hospitalization rates are a reminder that we must continue following basic public health protocols we know work: masks, social distancing, and hand washing," Whitmer continued. "The way to put this pandemic behind us, however, is to get vaccinated. The vaccine is the most effective way to protect you, your family, and your community and get us back to normal sooner. Together, we will emerge from this pandemic stronger than ever and celebrate summer together with friends and family. We will become the state that beats this damn virus."

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While half of the eligible Michiganders have been vaccinated, 38 percent of all residents have been fully vaccinated, officials said. Whitmer's administration has long stated that its goal is for at least 70 percent of Michiganders 16 and older to be vaccianted.

“Since Michigan began our vaccine rollout, Governor Whitmer and I promised that every Michigander who wanted a vaccine would receive one safely," Gilchrist said in a statement. "We are now seven million doses closer to that goal, well ahead of schedule.

"Every dose brings us closer to reaching our goal of equitably vaccinating at least 70% of Michigander’s ages 16 and older as soon as possible, but as we get closer to achieving our goal, we have to remember that we are still in this fight against the virus," Gilchrist continued. "Together, we will emerge from this pandemic stronger than ever. We can end this virus on our terms by ensuring that everyone eligible to receive a vaccine gets one. The COVID-19 vaccine has been tested for safety and is trusted by doctors. From smallpox to polio and now COVID, vaccines have a long history of hope and healing. The COVID-19 vaccine is our best shot to being free from this pandemic, and the quickest way for our lives to return to normal is for everyone to get vaccinated.”

Michigan's COVID-19 vaccination rollout has tied itself to the state's reopening plan, basing what restrictions will be lifted on how many people have been vaccinated.

When 60 percent of people have received the vaccine, capacity limits rise at banquet halls, conference centers, stadiums, funeral homes will be lifted. Indoor capacity limits will be lifted once 65 percent of people have received at least one dose, according to the plan, while broad mitigation measures will be lifted once 70 percent of people have been vaccinated.

Michigan's first COVID-19 vaccine benchmark could be reached as soon as this week, Whitmer said previously, allowing office work to resume in two weeks.