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March 6, 2021
The Ottawa County Department of Public Health (OCDPH) sent this weekly vaccine update to those who signed up for vaccine notifications or COVID-19 updates. If you already received your vaccine and do not want to be on the notification list, please unsubscribe here. If you no longer want to receive COVID-19 updates, please unsubscribe at the bottom of this email.
 Ottawa County COVID-19 Vaccine Update
This week's vaccine video update on Facebook and YouTube.
Includes an interview with special guests who shared how the pandemic has increased the challenges for families and children with special needs. We also discussed the importance of protecting vulnerable kids by getting vaccinated when you're eligible, wearing masks and maintaining all other disease prevention measures. The interview starts here.
Every Wednesday at noon we will provide the latest Ottawa County vaccine and response updates at Facebook.com/miOttawaHealth and YouTube.com/miOttawa. Next week will include guests from local organizations who pulled together to help our community during this difficult time.
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 *The OCPDH updated its registration form to better identify those who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine and to more efficiently process vaccine notifications and appointment scheduling. If you signed up before February 26, 2021, and have not filled out the new form yet—and are still awaiting vaccination—please sign up on the waitlist here. You should have also received an email last week to fill out the new form if you had already signed up. Re-registering does not move you out of line since appointment invitations are based on phase eligibility and vaccine supply. Once you complete the form, you will receive an email confirmation. You will also receive an additional email/text in the future when you become eligible for vaccination and appointments are available.
Recent Questions & Answers
Who’s received the COVID-19 vaccine in Ottawa County?
The OCDPH has nearly completed going through its list and scheduling vaccine appointments for eligible registrants—healthcare workers, first responders, corrections staff, people 65 years of age and older, education staff (Pre-K through 12th grade) and childcare workers. If you fall into one of these eligible categories and have not yet been vaccinated, please register here or call 616-396-5266 to receive more information about an upcoming clinic.
Who’s currently being vaccinated in Ottawa County?
The OCDPH has started vaccinating food processing and agricultural workers by working directly with companies that employ these eligible workers and Lakeshore Advantage. If you are in these categories, please register here and check with your employer for more information. Vaccine supplies remain extremely limited. Please continue to be patient as we work to get people vaccinated as quickly as possible.
Who’s next to be vaccinated in Ottawa County?
- Beginning Monday, March 8, people 50 years of age and older with chronic health conditions or disabilities and caregiver family members and guardians (16 years of age and older) who care for children with special health care needs or disabilities will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The OCDPH will have a limited number of appointments next week to begin vaccinating this group. Vaccine appointment invitations are sent via email/text to people who signed up to receive vaccine notifications and are in the eligible group. If you receive an invitation to schedule an appointment and are not able to find an available time because all appointments were filled, we will notify you again via email/text messaging when more appointments become available.
- Beginning Monday, March 22, vaccine eligibility will expand to include all Michiganders 50 years of age and older. To receive upcoming appointment information when vaccine supplies become available for these groups, please sign up to be on the OCDPH waitlist here*. This sign-up is for email/text notification purposes only and does not schedule you for a vaccine appointment.
- Vaccine supplies remain extremely limited. Please continue to be patient as we work to get people vaccinated as quickly as possible.
When can I receive the COVID-19 vaccine?
Updated information about vaccine eligibility and the state’s timeline is here. Please sign up to be on the OCDPH waitlist here* to receive an email/text notification when you become eligible and vaccine appointments are available.
For a list of other locations that may have vaccine availability, please visit www.VaccinateWestMi.com/register. People 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 2-1-1.
How can I help with Ottawa County's vaccination efforts?
 While many people in Ottawa County are anxiously waiting to get the COVID-19 vaccine, many people still have reservations about it. Some may want more information about COVID-19 vaccines, including the process for developing and authorizing these vaccines and information about their safety and effectiveness. People may have previous experiences that affect their trust and confidence in the health system. Strong confidence in the vaccines within communities leads to more people getting vaccinated, which leads to fewer COVID-19 illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths. Below are ways to help our vaccination efforts as we diligently work towards ending the COVID-19 pandemic.
Six Ways to Help Build COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence
- Encourage leaders in your family, community or organizations to be vaccine champions.
- Have discussions about COVID-19 vaccines where people can openly discuss their views and ask questions.
- Share key messages through multiple channels that people trust and that promote action.
- Help educate people about COVID-19 vaccines, how they are developed and monitored for safety, and how individuals can talk to others about the vaccines.
- Learn more about finding credible vaccine information. When you come across COVID-19 information, cross-check with CDC.gov and learn how to respond to misinformation you encounter.
- When vaccine is offered to you, make visible your decision to get vaccinated and celebrate it!
To be featured in an Ottawa County bulletin update or Facebook post, please send your quote, photo and/or video to kwieghmink@miottawa.org. See what others had to share here.
More Vaccine Information Resources
VaccinateWestMi.com FAQs I CDC COVID-19 FAQs Flyer I CDC FAQ Website
Alternative Languages: Arabic | Spanish | Korean | Russian | Simplified Chinese | Tagalog | Traditional Chinese | Vietnamese
COVID-19 Vaccinations in Ottawa County
Click the image to open the MDHHS vaccine dashboard.
This week OCDPH received 5,310 first doses and second doses. Of the total received this week, 1,500 doses were the newly authorized Johnson & Johnson vaccine which requires only one shot and refrigerator storage, making distribution easier and faster. The OCDPH continues to work with hospital, school, pharmacy and business partners to share vaccine and push it out to other locations throughout Ottawa County
Total Ottawa County:
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48,590 first and second COVID-19 vaccines have been distributed to Ottawa County health care systems and the health department by MDHHS as of March 2, 2021, according to the state's vaccine map data.
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76,227 first and second doses have been administered to Ottawa County residents as of March 4, 2021.
The number of doses administered is higher than the number of doses received because vaccinators have been able to consistently get at least six doses from the five dose vials. Additionally, doses reported are based on where the person lives. If an Ottawa County resident receives their vaccine from a location outside of the county, it is still counted as Ottawa County.
More vaccine data from MDHHS here.
Creating vaccine equity in Ottawa County
Article by Andrea Goodell
The Ottawa County Department of Public Health and community partners are working to reach everyone in an equitable way. It isn’t always easy. For groups who have historically not been offered a seat at the table, there is a reluctance to trust those trying to help now.
“Every week, we meet, and we listen to community partners and say ‘What went well? Where can we improve?” says Patrick Cisler, executive director of the Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance. “We want to be equitable with the little vaccine we have.”
READ MORE
Image courtesy of The Lakeshore West Michigan.
Ottawa County COVID-19 Data Hub
Please check out other partner organizations also offering the COVID-19 vaccine at www.VaccinateWestMi.com/register. For locations statewide, please call the Michigan COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136 or visit Michigan.gov/COVIDvaccine.
 COVID-19 Vaccinations in Michigan
 Michigan has distributed 3,031,775 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine
with 2,505,493 of those administered statewide as of March 5, 2021.
More Vaccine Data from MDHHS here.
Updated MDHHS Orders Expand Restaurant Capacity, Increase Gathering and Capacity Limits, Allow for Expanded Visitation at Residential Care Facilities
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) updated two of its epidemic orders, allowing for increased capacity limits at various venues, larger residential and nonresidential gatherings and expanded visitation opportunities at residential care facilities. Changes are designed to balance reopening while controlling the spread of COVID-19 and save Michiganders’ lives. Although progress has been made in reduction of hospitalizations, it is crucial that Michiganders continue to mask up and socially distance as we reopen.
Capacity changes include:
- Restaurants and bars are allowed to be at 50% capacity up to 100 people. Tables must be six feet apart with no more than six people per table. There is now an 11 p.m. curfew.
- Indoor non-residential gatherings where people interact across households are permitted up to 25 people, allowing public meetings and other small indoor gatherings to resume.
- Outdoor non-residential gatherings where people interact across households are permitted up to 300, allowing larger outdoor events to resume.
- Indoor entertainment venues are allowed to be at 50% capacity, up to 300 people.
- Exercise facilities are allowed to be at 30% capacity with restrictions on distancing and mask requirements.
- Retail is allowed to be at 50% capacity.
- Casinos are allowed to be at 30% capacity.
- Indoor stadiums and arenas are allowed have 375 if seating capacity is under 10,000; 750 if seating capacity is over 10,000.
- Outdoor entertainment and recreational facilities may host up to 1,000 patrons.
Indoor residential gatherings are now limited to 15 people from three households, while outdoor residential gatherings can include up to 50 people.
The epidemic order continues to temporarily pause other venues and activities where participants have close physical contacts and are not consistently masked, like water parks. As before, employees who work in jobs that cannot be performed from home can continue to go to work, while employees who can work from home should continue to do so.
READ MORE
March 5 Gatherings Order Infographic
Social Gathering Guidance
Capacity Limits Fact Sheet
Outdoor Seating Infographic
Residential Care Visitation Order Infographic
Visitation Order Special Cases
Key Metrics Infographic
MDHHS Resources
Vaccine Information I Strategy I Distribution Guidance I MI Vaccine Locations
COVID-19 Vaccinations in the United States
Click to view more data.
 “The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ Interim Recommendation for Use of Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine — United States, February 2021”
What is already known about this topic?
On February 27, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.
What is added by this report?
On February 28, 2021, after a transparent evidence-based review of all available data, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issued an interim recommendation for use of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine in persons aged ≥18 years for the prevention of COVID-19.
What are the implications for public health practice?
The Janssen COVID-19 vaccine has high efficacy against COVID-19–associated hospitalization and death. Persons may receive any ACIP-recommended COVID-19 vaccine and are encouraged to receive the earliest vaccine available to them. Use of all EUA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines is critical in controlling the pandemic.
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