GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — First Lady Dr. Jill Biden made a stop in Grand Rapids on Thursday to encourage people to get their COVID-19 vaccine.
Biden toured the first on campus pop up vaccination clinic at Grand Rapids Community College. The clinic is the first of a national effort between pharmacies and community colleges to bring vaccines to campus.
"Community colleges serve and strengthen our communities...in many ways as we're seeing here today with with this effort," said Biden, who is a community college professor.
The first lady's visit comes at a time when nearly 59% of Michigan residents 16 and older have received at least the first dose of the vaccine.
The state's goal has been to reach at least 70% of that population.
GRCC President Dr. Bill Pink says the college didn't hesitate to take part in the effort.
Pink said the college got the call last week about setting up the clinic. GRCC nursing students had been assisting in vaccinations for months at the West Michigan Vaccine Clinic at DeVos Place
"It makes sense for community colleges to be one of the main catalysts to get this done," Pink said.
Rite Aid partnered with the college to offer the Pfizer vaccine. A second dose clinic will be held in three weeks.
Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss and Congressman Peter Meijer (R-03) joined Biden on a tour of the pop up clinic where they spoke with students, who had just received the vaccine.
Biden spoke to press briefly afterward stressing the importance of people getting vaccinated.
"When we all do this, we'll be able to spend this summer the way we should—to spend it together," she said.
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