On Monday, state and transit officials announced that the public transit systems will join Michigan’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
The efforts will help transport people to vaccines and vaccines to people with a focus on marginalized populations including the homebound, disabled, unsheltered, unemployed, low-income, seniors and communities of color.
As the state and nation work to deliver COVID vaccines to all who are eligible, Michigan’s public transit systems have the assets to support the equitable distribution of vaccines to people in rural and urban areas, who face transportation and access challenges.
The “Ride to Your Dose of Hope” service from Michigan’s transit systems will help achieve vaccine equity.
“Michigan’s public transit systems are uniquely positioned to support the state’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts by transporting arms to shots and shots to arms,” said Bradley T. Funkhouser, chief executive officer of the Capital Area Transportation Authority, which serves much of the Greater Lansing area.
In 2019, Americans took 9.9 billion trips on public transportation, reaching more than 81,400,000 passengers in Michigan alone.
Buses and special transportation vehicles operated by the transit system across Michigan are available to take people who lack access to regular transportation to vaccination events and sites.
In some instances, they can also be equipped as mobile vaccine units that can transport vaccines to people.
For public education, some systems will use bus wraps, social media channel content, and other communications tools to help their riders and communities understand that all three adult-use vaccines are safe and effective.
Ingham County Health Director Linda Vail said transit system support should help with the effort to vaccinate people who lack access to regular transportation.
“Vaccine equity is absolutely essential to reaching community-wide protection against COVID-19,” said Linda Vail, health officer with the Ingham County Health Department. “We know that barriers exist within communities that have been disproportionately impacted by this virus, including transportation, so this partnership is key to breaking down those barriers and increasing vaccinations.”
In addition to public education, some transit systems are providing free or low-fare transportation to vaccine locations for any person who needs a ride. People should contact their local or county transit system for details about the vaccination transportation options available in their community.
“As CATA, Eatran and Clinton have done, we believe public transit systems with the resources and assets should step up to support efforts for equitable vaccination distribution,” said Jim Snell, executive director of the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission.
CATA provided the resources to create and produce bus wrap advertising about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID vaccines, and will also provide information via social channels. CATA is sharing the communications materials it produced with transit systems across Michigan that want to deploy them in their service areas.
CATA is working with the state, Ingham County Health Department and its regional transportation partners, including Eatran in Eaton County and Clinton Transit, to get everyone in the mid-Michigan region vaccinated.
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