YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Washtenaw County Health Department had announced it is adding a second mass COVID-19 vaccination center on the county’s west side. The Health Department will run the site in collaboration with St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea hospital and Chelsea School District. “We continue to use all of our resources to make sure we give available vaccine as quickly as possible,” health officer with Washtenaw County Health Department, Jimena Loveluck, said in a statement. St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea hospital has been administering COVID-19 vaccines to eligible residents in western Washtenaw County. The Washtenaw County Health Department said it cannot offer residents a choice of which vaccine they receive -- whether it be Pfizer, Moderna or Janssen/Johnson & Johnson.

(AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. – The Washtenaw Superintendents’ Association has issued a statement calling to increase vaccine supplies for teachers in the county’s public school districts. According to a recent survey of educators by Michigan Education Association, only 25.6% of respondents in Washtenaw County had received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. WSA represents the superintendents of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District and the following nine public school districts: Ann Arbor Public Schools; Chelsea School District; Dexter Community Schools; Lincoln Consolidated Schools; Manchester Community Schools; Milan Area Schools; Saline Area Schools; Whitmore Lake Public Schools and Ypsilanti Community Schools. Washtenaw County superintendents have taken every opportunity to collectively advocate on behalf of our school communities at the local, state, and federal levels. We call on local Washtenaw County leaders to continue to keep equity at the center of everything we do, including our vaccination efforts.