Michigan residents -- ages 50 and up -- will be able to get vaccinated starting Monday as long as they have a pre-existing condition.
“It includes cancer or diabetes, overweight, smoking, a lot of conditions,” said Susan Ringler-Cerniglia, with the Washtenaw County Health Department.
The full list of pre-existing conditions can be read below.
However, Ringler-Cerniglia said that although eligibility is expanding, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be vaccinated soon.
READ: Michigan COVID-19 vaccinations: How to find appointments, info on phases
“We -- like a lot of other counties -- are still vaccinating folks that have been eligible, so we still have some of our older adults are 65 and older that are waiting for their appointments,” Ringler-Cerniglia said. “So we will be continuing to schedule those older adults, but the ability to request an appointment is now open wider.”
In a few weeks time -- on March 22 -- everyone 50 and older will be eligible to receive the vaccine across the state, which is why if you qualify, it’s best to set up your appointment as soon as possible. But even if you previously qualified for the vaccine and are on the waiting list, doctors will eventually get to you.
“Our seniors 65 and older that haven’t yet received their appointments, they can be confident that we’ll offer those appointments before we move on to the next eligible group,” Ringler-Cerniglia concluded.
These vaccines are free of charge, but patients do not have any say on which of the three vaccines they’re set to receive.
Officials with Macomb and Oakland counties have said they are still focusing on senior citizens.
READ: Metro Detroit leaders: Seniors won’t be left out as vaccine eligibility expands
Pre-existing health conditions include:
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Down Syndrome
- Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant
- Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2)
- Severe Obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2)
- Pregnancy
- Sickle cell disease
- Smoking
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus