Metro Detroit’s tri-counties -- Wayne, Oakland and Macomb -- are running out of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Wayne County Health Department, which does not include Detroit, is getting 975 doses of the vaccine from Michigan every seven to 10 days. It is asking for 5,000 doses a week. Oakland County has received 1,950 a week and is also requesting 5,000 a week. Macomb County is receiving 1,000 a week and requesting 50,000.
READ: Michigan COVID-19 vaccinations: How to find appointments, info on phases
“We’re asking for 50,000. We know we can get 50,000 a week out. But unfortunately, what we’ve been getting from the state with our allotment is 1,000 a week. The new group that’s added to the first priority group is going to equate to over 200,000 people -- are now going to be asking for this vaccine -- and we only have 1,000 per week to give out,” said Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel.
The counties are still vaccinating frontline workers as they prepare for Jan. 11 to move into the next phase, which includes teachers, first responders, childcare providers and residents 65 years of age and older.
“What we’re trying to tell people is, this is going to be a very frustrating period, very frustrating process. I think if they would have identified senior citizens, which is our at risk population, this probably would have been a little bit smoother, however, that wasn’t what had happened,” Hackel added.
Both Oakland and Wayne counties said they could give 1,000 shots a day if they had them.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has blamed the federal government for not supplying enough and said they are not releasing doses that are already here.
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