Protect Michigan Commission
Weekly Newsletter
August 17, 2021
Back to school guidance, additional dose recommendations issued
Communicating the importance of the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is more important than ever as students and school staff head back to school and return to in-person learning.
Just ask Protect Michigan Commission co-chair Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, pediatrician and director of the Michigan State University and Hurley Children's Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative.
"As a pediatrician I recommend the vaccine to everyone I know," she said in a "My Why" spot that featured Michigan parents. Both of her daughters, ages 12 and 15, received the Pfizer vaccine in May. The Pfizer vaccine is authorized for children 12 and up.
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued updated recommendations for schools designed to help prevent transmission of COVID-19 in schools and to protect vulnerable individuals and individuals who are not fully vaccinated or are under the age of 12 and not yet eligible.
MDHHS is working with local providers to make available to Michigan residents with compromised immune systems an additional dose of the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. The additional doses will provide additional protections for those with compromised immune systems who may not have had a robust immune response to the first two doses of vaccine. This will help protect against the delta variant and other variants.
Michigan has an ample supply of the COVID-19 vaccine to meet the demand. An additional dose will be available for anyone who is eligible effective Saturday, Aug. 14.
This comes after the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices approved an additional dose of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for people ages 12 and older who have compromised immune systems.
Additional doses are available to eligible individuals who have received two doses of mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna). The additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine should be received at a minimum interval of 28 days after completion of the two dose primary vaccination series. Anyone who has received Pfizer or Moderna previously should attempt to receive an additional dose of the same vaccine, but you may receive either type of vaccine if the one you previously received is not available. Booster doses are not currently recommended for the general population.
The CDC panel did not make a recommendation for an additional dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
PMC meeting this week
Just a reminder that this month's PMC meeting is this Friday from 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. You'll get an update on COVID and vaccine data, CDC recommendations and you'll hear about projects PMC is working on. If you can't make it, we'll have a recording of the meeting on our website.
Clinics in your community
To reach more Michigan residents where they are, PMC and MDHHS are scheduling mobile clinics across the state.
Since August 1 we've set up clinics at churches, festivals and fairs, movie theaters, neighborhood COVID testing sites and Dollar General stores. We're currently scheduling pop-up clinics at college and universities as students move back to campus.
If your organization wants to host a clinic, specifically in Grand Rapids, Jackson or Ingham County please send an email to protectmicommission@michigan.gov
Your email must include location, address and a point of contact for clinic coordination.
Click on the image below to find out where our clinics will be this week.
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