Now that the FDA has given its stamp of approval to the US\u2019 first coronavirus vaccine, the question becomes how public health officials convince a sufficient number of people to get the vaccine that it makes a difference?<\/p>\n
A recent Associated Press poll found that only around half of the country had definitive plans to get the vaccine. Approximately 25 percent of respondents said they would not be getting it, while another quarter said they weren\u2019t sure. Scientists are still debating the herd immunity threshold, but it\u2019s likely at least 50-percent if not 75-80-percent, meaning the number may fall short.<\/p>\n
That fact has Michigan taking action.<\/p>\n
With FDA approval now in the books for Pfizer\u2019s landmark COVID-19 vaccine, Governor Gretchen Whitmer wants to give the state a proverbial shot in the arm. Whitmer laid out the state\u2019s strategy in a Thursday press release: \u201cWe must begin to educate Michiganders about how important it is that we all get vaccinated so we can eradicate this virus once and for all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Executive order 2020-193 established the Protect Michigan Commission as a vaccine awareness campaign intended to advise the governor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
The commission will provide what the state referred to as public leadership to \u201celevate and reinforce the importance of an approved COVID-19 vaccine.\u201d Protect Michigan will also take down potential barriers to acceptance and put together an outreach strategy to overcome so-called vaccine hesitancy in communities where it poses a problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s going to help,\u201d Dr. Lydia Watson related. \u201cI think it\u2019s important to bring awareness to how important it is to get this vaccine.\u201d<\/p>\n
MidMichigan Health was named one of five initial hubs in the State of Michigan and will be the first in the Bay Region to get its hands on the Pfizer vaccine.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had to figure out sites, how we were going to get it from the main hub to those other sites\u2026 with a top priority in mind of providing the vaccine safely,\u201d Watson explained.<\/p>\n
Dr. Watson told ABC12 that process began in October. Per the state\u2019s rollout plan, the health system will begin by vaccinating its frontline workers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the mood there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are ready and there is growing excitement,\u201d Watson responded. \u201cWe just have to go with the flow\u2026 accommodate whatever changes we need to make.\u201d<\/p>\n
The state is still looking for people to get involved. Interested individuals can apply online under the appointments tab on the state\u2019s website by the December 28 deadline.<\/p>\n
Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist, former Lt. Governor Brian Calley, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Detroit Piston Blake Griffin and others will serve as co-chairs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Now that the FDA has given its stamp of approval to the US\u2019 first coronavirus vaccine, the question…\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3211,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n