Health care workers will be the first in line to get the COVID-19 vaccine once it's approved, according to Michigan's recently released interim state plan.
Phase one also includes people who live or work at long-term care facilities, prisons and homeless shelters, along with those who are at risk for severe complications of COVID-19, like folks who are 65 and older, and those with underlying chronic health conditions.
Phase two includes essential workers like those who work at grocery stores and food distribution places, along with other high-risk populations.
And finally, with Phase 3, the vaccine will be made available to the general public.
The vaccines will be distributed first to hospitals, then to health clinics, medical offices and pharmacies. And if a vaccine requires a second shot, the plan at the moment is for health care officials to mail postcards or send text messages as a reminder.
Both the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccine trials are on pause due to unexplained illnesses in participants. The other two vaccines are from Pfizer and Moderna. Pfizer hopes to apply for the FDA’s emergency use authorization in late November, while Moderna is aiming for December. But in order to apply for emergency use authorization, vaccine candidates must wait for a specific number of coronavirus cases to occur. So that there’s enough data to show that the vaccine is both safe and effective. And this could ultimately affect their timeline, so it’s possible the vaccines could be ready later than what the companies are predicting.
