MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Wednesday people 50 years old or older with a pre-existing condition will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday, March 8.
She also said after that, in two weeks, the vaccine will become available for everyone over 50.
Despite this update, Muskegon County Public Health Director Kathy Moore said there will still be a waiting to get the vaccine.
"We still have individuals over 85, over 75, over 65, that's our highest priority," said Moore. "But that just means you're closer, you're just that much close."
As of Tuesday, March 2 the state of Michigan has confirmed 590,217 total cases of COVID-19 and over 15,000 people have died from the virus.
In Muskegon County about 12 percent of the population has been vaccinated. It's about 40 percent for the 65 and older population.
Later this month the effort to vaccinate more than 4,000 teachers, bus drivers, food service workers, and school staff will finish.
A vaccination clinic held Wednesday at Muskegon Heights High School administered 300 doses of the Moderna vaccine.
The event was organized by the Muskegon Chapter of the NAACP.
"Black and brown populations are feeling somewhat disenfranchised feeling left out of the clinic scheduling," said Moore.
"People want these vaccinations, we just got to get it to them and make it available to them," said NAACP Muskegon President Eric Hood.
Hood says he and other community leaders didn't have any trouble filling the 300 vaccination appointments and could have filled many more.
"400 or 500 people," said Hood.
Wednesday Muskegon County received it's first shipment of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The 1,500 doses will be used later this week.
To date, more than 40% of Michiganders age 65 and older have been vaccinated. In Michigan over 2.3 million doses of the COVID vaccines have been administered.
Residents who don’t have access to the internet or who need assistance navigating the vaccine scheduling process can call the COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136 (press 1), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. or can call 211.
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