Protect Michigan Commission
Weekly Newsletter
September 9, 2021
Following ACIP recommendation, MDHHS renews call for Michiganders to get vaccinated
Following FDA approval and a unanimous recommendation from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for those ages 16 and up, the Michigan Department of Health and Humans Services (MDHHS) is renewing its call to Michiganders to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
ACIP provides advice and guidance to the director of the CDC regarding use of vaccines and related agents for control of vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States. The committee’s 14-0 vote came a week after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted full approval for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
The Pfizer vaccine was the first COVID-19 vaccine to be distributed in December 2020 and was shown to be better than 94% effective against the virus that causes COVID-19.
Vaccinating adolescents 12-15 with the Pfizer vaccine and additional doses of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised individuals remain under Emergency Use Authorization. ACIP plans to meet in September to further discuss recommendations for booster doses after reviewing additional data.
To date, nearly 5.5 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been administered in Michigan and more than 65% of Michiganders have gotten at least their first dose of one of the three safe, effective vaccines. From January to July 2021, unvaccinated Michiganders accounted for 98% of COVID cases, 95% of hospitalizations and 96% of deaths.
Quarantine guidance for asymptomatic students
To help ensure Michigan students and educators are as safe as possible in the classroom and keep students in school for in-person learning, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has issued updated quarantine guidance.
MDHHS recommends local health departments and schools work together to quickly isolate COVID-19 cases among students and staff, identify close contacts of those cases and adopt quarantine policies that reduce the risk of transmission in schools while allowing in-person learning. When evidence-based prevention measures, including universal masking, are in place, modifications may be made to the 10- to 14-day at-home quarantine.
School quarantine guidance for asymptomatic students who were exposed to a student infected with COVID-19 varies depending on a variety of circumstances. In all cases, the student who has tested positive for COVID-19 should isolate and follow directions from their local health department. Any individual that displays COVID-19 symptoms, regardless of vaccination status, should be tested and isolate as directed.
Under the new guidance, a student exposed to COVID-19 can remain in school under the following scenarios:
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A fully vaccinated student (regardless of whether they wore a mask) who came in close contact with a COVID-positive student. The exposed student can remain in school if they wear a mask and monitor symptoms for 14 days after their exposure. They should test for COVID-19 three to five days after their last exposure to the COVID-positive student. If the exposed student tests positive, then the student should isolate and follow directions from their local health department.
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An unvaccinated student who was masked and exposed to a COVID-positive student who was also masked in an indoor school setting, so long as the students remained at least three to six feet apart. The exposed student can remain in school if they wear a mask, but they should monitor symptoms for 14 days following the exposure.
- An unvaccinated student who was masked and exposed to a COVID-positive student who was also masked in an indoor school setting, but the students were less than three feet apart and the student tests daily.
- The exposed student can remain in school if they wear a mask. They should monitor symptoms for 14 days and test daily before coming into the school building for the seven days following the exposure. They should continue to monitor for symptoms for a total of 14 days following the exposure.
- The exposed student should work with their school district and local health department to determine options available for daily testing. If the student cannot complete daily testing for seven days following the exposure, the student should not remain in school and should follow the guidance below.
An unvaccinated student exposed to COVID-19 should not remain in school under the following scenarios:
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If the exposed or COVID-positive student, or both were not wearing a mask. Unvaccinated students who are unmasked are more likely to become ill because they are more likely to have been exposed to larger amounts of virus.
- The exposed student should not remain in school, and instead the student should quarantine at home for 10 days following the exposure.
- They may return after day 10 if they have not had any symptoms during those 10 days. They should continue to monitor for symptoms for a total of 14 days following the exposure.
- The student may return after day seven if they test negative that day and do not have symptoms. They should continue to monitor for symptoms for a total of 14 days following the exposure.
- A student who was masked and exposed to a COVID-positive student who was also masked in an indoor school setting, but the students were less than three feet apart and the student does not test daily.
MDHHS is providing schools antigen testing supplies free of charge through the MI Safe Schools Testing program. Schools and individual school districts can request antigen test kits through the Mi Safer Schools: School Antigen COVID Test Ordering form. MDHHS will be leveraging our partnership with Intermediate School Districts to help distribute COVID-19 antigen tests based on the orders placed in the School Antigen COVID Test Ordering Form. Questions about test supply orders can be sent to your Intermediate School District and any other school testing related questions can be sent directly to MDHHS at MDHHS-COVIDtestingsupport@michigan.gov
“Healthy Communities, Healthy Economies” rely on the support of residents doing their part to help stop the pandemic
Michigan’s hospital and business leaders are calling upon residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible to keep their families and communities healthy, and residents working and businesses open.
Highlighting the experiences of hospitals and businesses across Michigan, the Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) and Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) today shared stories from hospitals and businesses across the state facing the current surge of COVID-19 driven by the more contagious delta variant.
Hospitals are once again operating at near-capacity levels, and businesses are still recovering from the pandemic’s impact on supply and staffing. As some of the largest employers in the state – providing more than 234,000 jobs – hospitals are too facing higher workloads with limited staffing, just as small businesses have been stretched to their limits over the past year and a half. Unlike the pandemic’s previous surges however, we now have the means to fight COVID-19: a safe and effective vaccine.
While hospitals are leading employers in many Michigan communities, small businesses are at the heart of those communities. From food service and hospitality to retail, manufacturing, academia and beyond, entire industries have been severely impacted by the pandemic. Many businesses have had to postpone specific service lines or production, reduce hours of operation, increase prices and more.
More than 5.2 billion people around the world, 205.9 million people in our nation, and 5.3 million Michiganders have received the COVID-19 vaccine. With approximately 99% of all COVID-19 deaths being in unvaccinated individuals, the vaccine has obvious protection from serious illness, hospitalization, and death. Among national clinical and medical associations and public health experts and researchers worldwide, there is unequivocal agreement about the importance of vaccinations and appropriate mask wearing.
Upcoming PMC Meetings
Save the date! The Protect Michigan Commission has scheduled the following fall meetings. Please take a moment to place a hold on your calendar and keep an eye out for the meeting invite links.
- Friday, September 17 from 9-10:30 a.m.
- Friday, October 8 from 10-11:30 a.m.
- Friday, November 12 from 10-11:30 a.m.
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Upcoming Clinics
See the full list of upcoming community clinics and and request a clinic for your organization's event. Many neighborhood testing sites also provide vaccines on site.
All clinics are subject to change/cancellation due to weather or other unforeseen issues at the scheduled location.
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