All Detroiters 16 and Older Are Now Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine
New eligibility comes as city opens a new mass vaccination site at the Northwest Activities Center offering the Johnson & Johnson treatment — and a spike in new infections.
Any Detroiter 16 years or older can get the coronavirus vaccine. The new eligibility comes as the city introduces a new mass vaccination site at the Northwest Activities Center, which will offer the one-shot Johnson & Johnson treatment starting this week.
Mayor Mike Duggan says Detroit is seeing an upward trend of COVID-19 infections. Detroit has a 10.3% infection rate, which has doubled in the past 10 days. The number of hospitalized Detroiters has also doubled, with 164 hospitalizations. Younger Detroiters are driving the increase, Duggan says.
“What we’re seeing today is hospitalizations of people in their 20s, their 30s, their 40s, their 50s.”
Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair says people between the ages of 20 and 39 years old account for 40% of the city’s new cases.
“It’s really important to share that over the last two weeks, our cases have nearly doubled.” — Denise Fair, chief public health officer
“And I’m very concerned about that. It’s really important to share that over the last two weeks, our cases have nearly doubled.”
Fair says there have been 896 new cases in the last two weeks.
Duggan says Detroit will get 3,300 doses from Johnson & Johnson this week. He says the Northwest Activities Center is expected to open through the week as more shots become available.
“You will have the choice of getting the one shot out in Northwest Detroit or the two shots down at TCF [Center].”
Detroit is also offering vaccine clinics at various community churches on Saturdays where any adult who lives in the city can get the shot. The Detroit Health Department is also inoculating nonresidents who work on site in Detroit. Fair says Johnson & Johnson is only offered to those 18 years and older, but there are other options available for most adults.
“As we get more Pfizer, we will offer it to those who are aged 16 and older.”
Health officials say young adults are driving current COVID-19 infection rates. Because of the recent surge in cases, the city is urging people to refrain from activities related to Detroit Tigers’ opening day, unless they have a ticket to the game.
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