Aspirus says ‘will take time to vaccinate those eligible’

LAURIUM — The Michigan Department of Health & Human Services on March 8 further expanded Phase 1B of COVID-19 vaccine eligibility.
    With the expansion, adults age 50-plus with medical conditions and disabilities and caregivers of children with special health care needs became eligible.
    MDHHS said that all adults ages 50-64 will become eligible on March 22 in Michigan.
 Individuals within these newly eligible groups can request vaccination through Aspirus and appointments will be made available based on vaccine supply.
 “The vaccine allocations we have received of late have allowed us to meet second-dose needs, but have not allowed us to adequately reach previously eligible groups like adults 65-plus,” said Jessica Bessner, PharmD, director of regional pharmacy for Aspirus in the U.P. “If supply improves, Aspirus is ready and has the capacity to ramp up vaccinations dramatically.”     
 Aspirus is scheduling those who are eligible as closely as possible to the order in which requests are received. This can vary based on vaccine supply, eligibility phase, and location.
 “Our local health departments in the U.P. have supported our efforts by sharing some of their vaccine supply with us,” Bessner said. “We appreciate this collaboration but ask people to recognize that it will take time to vaccinate everyone in the groups that become eligible.”
 To date, Aspirus has provided more than 4,000 first-dose vaccinations to eligible