Because children younger than 12 cannot get vaccinated against COVID yet, there are many concerns about COVID spreading through them.

Henry Ford Health System is enrolling children for a Moderna vaccine study. Participation is open to children ages 6 months to 11 years old.

The appointments are available to residents in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Inkster, Redford, Allen Park, Garden City and Melvindale.

(AP Photo/Michael Sohn, FILE)YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Washtenaw County Health Department has announced a new pilot project as a result of receiving 2,500 additional doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Department applied for the extra vaccines through the MDHHS’ Community Outreach COVID-19 Pilot Project. With the help of local partners and leaders, the Health Department will host several pop-ups in areas with high Social Vulnerability Index. AdPriority areas include the east side of Washtenaw County as well as areas of Ann Arbor and Pittsfield Township including the zip codes 48197, 48198, 48108, and 48105. “The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for all of us, but some areas and communities within Washtenaw County have been more severely impacted,” health officer with Washtenaw County Health Department Jimena Loveluck said in a news release.

After two weeks of hospitals, local health departments and pharmacies canceling COVID-19 vaccine appointments due to limited supply, Michigan is expected to receive its largest shipment so far. If the FDA approves the emergency use authorization of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine this weekend, the numbers are about to ramp up even further. “If Johnson & Johnson actually does get EUA approval this weekend, the state expects to get an additional 83,000 doses,” said Henry Ford’s Dr Sam Mossallam. READ: Warren neighbors help WWII veteran get COVID vaccineREAD: Fairness of COVID vaccine distribution up for debate in Michigan LegislatureUS advisers endorse single-shot COVID-19 vaccine from J&JU.S. health advisers endorsed a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson on Friday, putting the nation on the cusp of adding an easier-to-use option to fight the pandemic. AdAfter daylong discussions, the FDA panelists voted unanimously that the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks for adults.

The 8,900 doses of Michigan’s Moderna vaccine that got too cold during shipment have been deemed OK to use, state officials said. On Jan. 19, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced several shipments of the Moderna vaccine that were sent out Jan. 17 left the recommended temperature range. McKesson completed an internal investigation and determined the cause of the issue with those 21 shipments, officials said. Based on information gathered during that investigation, Moderna has decided the doses were still viable upon arrival. AdThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated the doses can still be used to vaccinate Michiganders.

DETROIT – As COVID-19 vaccines roll out across the U.S., several people still have a lot of questions about it. READ: 114 takeaways after Michigan officials discuss COVID variant, recent trends, restaurants reopening“I have health problems, should I be getting the vaccine?”People have asked if health problems such COPD, bronchitis, heart attacks and more would make the vaccine unsafe. Ultimately, health problems are more of a bigger reason to get the vaccine. “What is the protocol for getting the COVID-19 vaccine after a joint replacement?”There’s no special concern after a joint replacement. There is no risk of someone spreading the virus from getting the vaccine.

Michigan officials said 21 shipments of the state’s supply of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine got too cold during distribution. The cause of the temperature drop is under investigation by McKesson, state officials said. Each shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine is equipped with a temperature monitoring device during transportation. The majority of the 21 affected shipments were resent Monday night, with the rest sent out Tuesday, the state announced. No vaccine is shipped or distributed by MDHHS, state officials said.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan officials said 11,900 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine the state was receiving are ruined and unusable. “That frustrates me when I know we are in a race and every vaccine matters, but that is not something I can control. Twenty-one shipments of the Moderna vaccine were rendered unusable because of temperature issues with the distributor. The distributor, McKesson Corporation, told the state the temperature went out of range and got too cold, affecting nearly 12-thousand doses. However, six additional shipments were also held back to make sure there were no issues with the vaccine.

DETROIT – As COVID-19 vaccines roll out across the U.S., several people still have a lot of questions about it. Unless it was a medically-concerning side effect, like anaphylaxis, the side effects are only temporary and when compared to the risk of COVID-19, you should still receive the second dose. “Is it safe to get the vaccine if I...?”Viewers are concerned if it would be unsafe to get the vaccine if they have epilepsy, atrial fibrillation, multiple sclerosis or another conditions. Based on the trials that have been done, there is no specific disease or illness that makes the vaccine unsafe or would be a contraindication to receive it. Although both are MRNA vaccines, there are differences in the genetic sequences used and the coating used to get the MRNA into our cells.

DETROIT – The city of Detroit received its first doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine this week, and on Tuesday, Mayor Mike Duggan broke down how it will be distributed. Duggan said 30 employees of the health department will receive their first doses of the vaccine Wednesday. Next week, home health care workers will receive the vaccine, followed in January by those in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. (There will be) no discipline or punishment.”The city, Henry Ford Health System nor the Detroit Medical Center have mandated the vaccine. Henry Ford Health System will be on hand to administer the vaccine to first responders from the Detroit Fire Department and to educate people and answer any questions.

Boxes containing the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are prepared to be shipped at the McKesson distribution center in Olive Branch on December 20, 2020 in Olive Branch, Mississippi. (Photo by Paul Sancya - Pool/Getty Images)DETROIT – Frontline essential workers and people over 75 will be next to receive COVID-19 vaccines, according to a vote from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee Sunday. RELATED: CDC green-lights Moderna COVID vaccine, distribution beginsCurrently, Phase 1B includes some workers in essential and critical industries, including workers with unique skill sets such as non-hospital or non-public health laboratories and mortuary services. As the largest union for America’s essential workers in grocery, meatpacking, and food processing, UFCW applauds the CDC’s advisory committee for prioritizing these brave men and women for access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Protecting our country’s food workers is essential to keeping our communities safe and stopping future outbreaks in these high-exposure workplaces.

OLIVE BRANCH, MISSISSIPPI - DECEMBER 20: Boxes containing the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are prepared to be shipped at the McKesson distribution center on December 20, 2020 in Olive Branch, Mississippi. CDC has accepted the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendation for use of the second authorized #COVID19 vaccine. Current recommendations: https://t.co/cYJxH31I3F pic.twitter.com/qOQwyASpSG — CDC (@CDCgov) December 20, 2020The CDC accepted the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’(ACIP) recommendation for use of the Moderna vaccine on Sunday, Dec. 20. President, American Medical AssociationThe Moderna vaccine began shipping out Sunday, just days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized it for emergency use. Both the Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer shot require individuals receive two doses several weeks apart.

I am fixing and we will move forward from there," Perna told reporters in telephone briefing. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)The Army general in charge of getting COVID-19 vaccines across the United States apologized on Saturday for “miscommunication” with states over the number of doses to be delivered in the early stages of distribution. I am fixing and we will move forward from there," Gen. Gustave Perna told reporters in a telephone briefing. There is no problem with the Moderna vaccine.”There’s a distinction between manufactured vaccine and doses that are ready to be released. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday accused the White House of “slow-walking the process.” Michigan is due 60,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in its second allotment, down from an anticipated 84,825.

DETROIT – A second COVID-19 vaccine has won backing from the U.S. expert panel, paving way for final FDA decision on emergency use. The approval comes about a week after Pfizer’s vaccine was endorsed. Moderna benefited by going second and was able to address a lot of the issues up front and have the additional data the experts wanted already prepared. The allergy concern is not going away after there’s been two reactions to Pfizer’s vaccine in Alaska and two in the United Kingdom. This is all happening as the Pfizer Vaccine is being given to health care workers across the country, including Local 4′s Dr. Frank McGeorge.

The FDA’s vaccine advisory panel voted Thursday to recommend the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use authorization. The panel of independent experts has been reviewing the safety, efficacy and implications of recommending the second vaccine. The favorable vote from the panel clears the path for Moderna’s vaccine to become the second approved for use in the United States. Moderna had the advantage of watching the FDA’s review of the Pfizer vaccine and came prepared to answer the anticipated questions. More than 25% of Moderna’s volunteers are health care workers who are now eligible to get Pfizer’s vaccine.

We could have a second COVID-19 vaccine as early as next week if the FDA decides whether to authorize Moderna’s vaccine for emergency use. Live stream: FDA panel meets to vote on Moderna COVID vaccine authorizationA key FDA panel is set to vote Thursday on whether to recommend the approval of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. A favorable vote form this panel could clear the path for Moderna’s vaccine to become the second approved for use in the United States. On Friday, the United States granted an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Read more: Which COVID-19 vaccine should you take once both are approved: Pfizer or Moderna?

Moderna vaccine expected soonWhitmer said she expects the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to join the Pfizer vaccine in being approved in the next week. “Over the weekend, the first shipments of the FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine left Portage, Michigan,” Whitmer said. Vaccine factsKhaldun took a deep dive into COVID-19 vaccine facts Tuesday, including how effective the vaccines are, when everyone can expect to receive them and potential side effects. Vaccine scamsNessel outlined four specific types of COVID-19 vaccine scams circulating in the state and explained how they’re targeting residents. “In the three weeks since I sent that letter, nearly 2,000 Michiganders have died from COVID-19,” Whitmer said.

LANSING, Mich. – When will Michigan restaurants be allowed to reopen after the most recent shutdown due to COVID-19? Why are restaurants still closed while other types of places are allowed to remain open? Right now, restaurants are limited to carry-out and delivery orders, as indoor dining is shut down through at least Dec. 20. They feel COVID-19 restrictions are inconsistent, with people allowed to go to malls or grocery stores, but not restaurants. “There is a ban on indoor dining, and I think that to the extent that these restaurants are seeing that happen in other realms -- that is unfortunate,” Whitmer said.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan’s attorney general outlined four specific types of COVID-19 vaccine scams circulating in the state and explained how they’re targeting residents. READ: 9 major takeaways from Whitmer’s COVID-19 briefing on Dec. 15Attorney General Dana Nessel joined Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during Tuesday’s briefing to warn Michiganders about scammers looking to capitalize on the COVID-19 vaccine excitement. “Fake vaccine treatments, test kits and clinical trials are just some of those examples of what scammers are going to be putting out there,” she said. Michigan expects the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to join the Pfizer vaccine in being approved in the next week.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan’s top health official took a deep dive into COVID-19 vaccine facts Tuesday, including how effective the vaccines are, when everyone can expect to receive them and potential side effects. Gretchen Whitmer expects the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to join the Pfizer vaccine in being approved in the next week. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is 95% effective, and is safe. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been tested in trials, including tens of thousands of people. Residents have to return for a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine three weeks after the first dose.

LANSING, Mich. – Three of the most important COVID-19 metrics are showing positive signs that Michigan is heading in the right direction, the state’s chief medical executive said. Michigan is currently at 560 cases per million people, a number that has been trending downward for 22 straight days, Khaldun said. Case rates for all eight geographical regions are on the decline, she said. Overall, 18.5% of hospital beds in the state have COVID-19 patients in them, which has also declined, according to Khaldun. The percentage of statewide COVID-19 tests that are coming back positive is down to 12.3%, Khaldun said.

Gretchen Whitmer is asking state lawmakers for a permanent extension of unemployment benefits due to COVID-19. READ: 9 major takeaways from Whitmer’s COVID-19 briefing on Dec. 15FROM DEC. 1: Whitmer wants Michigan Legislature to pass permanent extension of unemployment benefitsThe governor took aim at the Republican-led state legislature during her Tuesday (Dec. 15) COVID-19 briefing, urging them to take action on a number of issues, including bipartisan COVID-19 restrictions, unemployment benefits and a $100 million stimulus plan. “I also need them to remember to pass a permanent extension of unemployment benefits,” Whitmer said. “I appreciate the Senate’s expansion of unemployment benefits to 26 weeks, through March, but we really need to work together to pass a permanent extension to protect the countless Michiganders and their livelihoods.”Whitmer said thousands of Michiganders are in danger of losing benefits at the end of the year. Lawmakers didn’t approve of Whitmer’s emergency orders issued throughout the pandemic, saying she shouldn’t be able to make such decisions without their approval.

Gretchen Whitmer says she is ready to sign a $100 million economic stimulus plan to help families and small businesses struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Yesterday, I sent another letter to the Legislature, urging them to work with me on priorities like $100 million in COVID-19 relief,” Whitmer said. “There are people out there who have spent a lifetime building up their small businesses,” Whitmer said. “We here in Michigan have got to step up and take action,” Whitmer said. Lawmakers didn’t approve of Whitmer’s emergency orders issued throughout the pandemic, saying she shouldn’t be able to make such decisions without their approval.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan’s governor continues to push for bipartisan support of COVID-19 restrictions, saying 2,000 residents have died from the virus since she sent a letter to legislators three weeks ago. READ: 9 major takeaways from Whitmer’s COVID-19 briefing on Dec. 15Gov. “In the three weeks since I sent that letter, nearly 2,000 Michiganders have died from COVID-19,” Whitmer said. We cannot afford to wait any longer.”Tension between Whitmer and the Republican-led Legislature has existed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawmakers didn’t approve of Whitmer’s emergency orders issued throughout the pandemic, saying she shouldn’t be able to make such decisions without their approval.

Gretchen Whitmer expects the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to join the Pfizer vaccine in being approved in the next week -- so which of the two should people get? READ: 9 major takeaways from Whitmer’s COVID-19 briefing on Dec. 15The governor spoke about vaccines during her Tuesday briefing. “Over the weekend, the first shipments of the FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine left Portage, Michigan,” Whitmer said. “In the next week, we expect the Moderna vaccine to be approved. It doesn’t matter which -- the Pfizer or the Moderna, or maybe others that will come online.

Gretchen Whitmer believes the state’s stricter COVID-19 rules, which were extended into next week, are successfully slowing the spread of the virus. It is working.”Whitmer said the state’s number of COVID-19 cases is decreasing, and that the dip correlates with the day the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued its three-week “pause.”“Simply put, what we’re doing is working,” Whitmer said. High school and college classes were shifted to fully remote formats and most entertainment venues were shuttered for the pause. On Dec. 7, the pause was extended an additional 12 days -- until Dec. 20 -- so officials could gauge the impact of the Thanksgiving holiday. Michigan reported 4,730 new COVID-19 cases and 183 additional deaths (71 from a Vital Records review) on Tuesday, bringing the state totals to 442,715 cases and 10,935 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

We could have a second COVID-19 vaccine as early as Friday if the FDA decides whether to authorize Moderna’s vaccine for emergency use. If authorized, health officials say they are ready to ship just less than six million doses of the Moderna vaccine across the United States. Michigan expects to receive 173,000 doses of the vaccine from Moderna. On Friday, the United States granted an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. With the authorization, the vaccine will ship via FedEx and UPS, with the two carriers splitting the country in half.

One of those No votes came from Dr. A Oveta Fuller, a virologist and viral pathogen researcher at the University of Michigan. “Because we are in a COVID pandemic and because so many lives are affected and because the public needs to understand so they know what to do,” Dr. Fuller said. Dr. Fuller said more data would help her be certain that she has done her due diligence. I engage the community about them,” Dr. Fuller said. Dr. Fuller, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at University of Michigan Medical School will also be a member of the FDA advisory panel for the Moderna vaccine, Thursday, December 17th.

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – With the announcement of the Food and Drug Administration vaccine advisory panel recommending the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine needs an emergency use authorization, Michigan is developing a distribution plan once the vaccine is authorized. Related: Michigan officials: COVID vaccine to be distributed in 4 phases, prioritize frontline workersMacomb County health officials announced Friday their plan to move its COVID-19 testing site to the former site of Baker College on Gratiot Avenue in Clinton Township for the winter. County executive Mark Hackel said Friday the county will receive about 1,000 vaccines in the first round of distribution. County officials said the site won’t be a public site until they can get through those workers. The county said they are in need of workers, specifically those qualified to do COVID testing, contact tracing and getting the vaccine to Macomb County residents.

With the announcement of the Food and Drug Administration vaccine advisory panel recommending the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine needs granted an emergency use authorization, Michigan is developing a distribution plan once the vaccine is authorized. Initially, five Michigan hospitals would be the first to get the vaccine, according to the Michigan Health and Hospital Association. The hospitals are Beaumont Hospital in Troy, Ascension Macomb-Oakland in Warren, University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, Spectrum Health Butterworth in Grand Rapids and MidMichigan Medical Center in Midland. “Once they are approved, we expect to receive a limited allocation of these vaccines and expect to receive shipments every week,” said Dr. Joneigh Khladun, Michigan chief medical executive. There are about 300 sites across Michigan that have signed up to receive the vaccine, which over the next two weeks, should be about 85,000 doses from Pfizer and 173,000 from Moderna.

DETROIT – What happens if the COVID vaccine is given the go-ahead? Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday that the state is working on a distribution plan that will take effect the minute the vaccines arrive. Roughly 10 million people live in Michigan and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said patience is a necessity. “Michigan will receive about 84,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine if it becomes available next week in that first application,” Khaldun said. “The Modena vaccine is a different vaccine that is just behind the Pfizer vaccine in the approval process.”Michigan is expecting just under 200,000 doses.

Scientists with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are working to review two COVID-19 vaccines submitted by drug companies Pfizer and Moderna. Pfizer submitted its application on Nov. 20 for an emergency use authorization to the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). “The safety profile of a vaccine that’s going to be deployed in millions of people has to be incredibly clean,” said Dr. Peter Marks, who directs CBER. “We, as an agency, are one of the last agencies in the world that we still actually get the primary data. We don’t get summary data.”CBER receives raw data on all participants in a vaccine trial, in addition to volumes of information on every aspect of the vaccine.

On Monday, Moderna joined Pfizer in submitting its vaccine for an emergency use authorization. But if a vaccine is authorized, will people be willing to get it? “We asked a national sample of older adults, aged 50-60, (about the) future COVID-19 vaccine and what their thoughts were,” U of M Dr. Preeti Malani said. Moderna COVID-19 vaccine moves step closer to public useModerna’s COVID-19 vaccine hit another major milestone, as the company is submitting its application for an emergency use authorization, starting the formal review process and moving a step closer to public use. “This is clearly the most important point prior to making the vaccine broadly available,” Moderna President Dr. Stephen Hoge said.

Once a COVID-19 vaccine is approved, Henry Ford says it is prepared to receive and store the vaccine -- which requires storage at extremely low temperatures. So far, Henry Ford has begun installing 12 freezers: six that can appropriately store the Pfizer vaccine, and six that can appropriately store the Moderna vaccine. Henry Ford hospitals in Wyandotte, Macomb, West Bloomfield and Jackson will each have one of each type of freezer. Pfizer formally requested an emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine on Nov. 20. Details about where the COVID-19 vaccine will first be shipped to in Michigan are still being finalized.

DETROIT Efforts to find a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine are about to take another major step forward, though declining cases could actually hamper those efforts. In order to know if a vaccine is actually protecting the people who have been vaccinated, those people need to be exposed to the virus. Researchers cant deliberately expose participants to the coronavirus in clinical trials, so the virus needs to be circulating in the community. Starting this month, Brazil will host the next round of testing on the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. Fauci said he is concerned about the durability of that immune response, meaning how long it will last.

DETROIT Medical officials said one of their promising possible coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines is showing encouraging results at this point in the process. Early results show the vaccine developed by Massachusetts-based Moderna, in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, is generating the hoped-for response in early results. These are preliminary results coming from a phase one study, experts said. Moderna has vaccinated 45 study participants so far and measured antibodies in eight of them, officials said. In an earlier study, the vaccine stopped the virus from replicating in the lungs of mice, who were deliberately exposed to the coronavirus.