With Michigan’s ultimate freedom hinging on the state’s new “MI Vacc to Normal” plan, interest in exactly where we stand on the milestone chart will be easier for everybody to track thanks to a new dashboard device from the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services.
The MDHHS has launched the “Vacc to Normal Milestone Tracker” to complement the Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard, with a measurement scale that includes vaccinations of Michigan residents received both in-state and out-of-state, allowing the state to provide more comprehensive data on vaccination milestones as they are reached.
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Chief Medical Executive and Chief Deputy for Health, says, “The Vacc to Normal Milestone Tracker provides the most complete estimate of the number of Michigan residents ages 16 and older who have received their first doses of COVID-19 vaccine,” and adds, “The safe and effective vaccine is the most important tool we have to reduce the spread of COVID-19. By getting shots in their arms as soon as possible, Michiganders can protect themselves, their families and their communities and help end this pandemic as quickly as possible.”
To date, 4,393,499 Michiganders age 16 and older have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, 54-percent of the state’s residents.
The tracker uses vaccination counts from the CDC COVID Data Tracker to provide information on the number of Michigan residents ages 16 and older who have received their first dose. CDC has access to administration data from providers who are not currently reporting to the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR), including federal entities, such as Veteran’s hospitals and Department of Defense Facilities, and out-of-state providers who administered vaccine to Michigan residents.
The Vacc to Normal Tracker also tracks the date when 55-percent, 60-percent, 65-percent and 70-percent of Michigan residents 16 years or older have received their first dose of vaccine and provides the date two weeks later when the next steps to normalcy will move forward. The Vacc to Normal plan will use four vaccination-based milestones:
- 55-percent of Michiganders (4,453,304 residents), plus two weeks
- Allows in-person work for all sectors of business.
- 60-percent of Michiganders (4,858,150 residents), plus two weeks
- Increases indoor capacity at sports stadiums to 25-percent.
- Increases indoor capacity at conference centers/banquet halls/funeral homes to 25-percent.
- Increases capacity at exercise facilities and gyms to 50-percent.
- Lifts the curfew on restaurants and bars.
- 65-percent of Michiganders (5,262,996 residents), plus two weeks
- Lifts all indoor percentage capacity limits, requiring only social distancing between parties.
- Further relaxes limits on residential social gatherings.
- 70-percent of Michiganders (5,667,842 residents), plus two weeks
- Lifts the Gatherings and Face Masks Order such that MDHHS will no longer employ broad mitigation measures unless unanticipated circumstances arise, such as the spread of vaccine-resistant variants.
The Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard provides detailed information on doses administered and coverage, including detail on county, age group, race/ethnicity and provider type. The Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard provides detailed data from the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR), collected from Michigan enrolled providers.
Doses administered to Michigan residents by most health care providers in other states are not sent to MCIR at this time. CDC is developing an interstate data transfer system for sharing data on COVID-19 vaccine doses between states for their residents. Michigan has signed a Data Sharing Agreement with CDC and is working with other states to put technological connections in place for sharing information until the CDC data transfer system is developed. Michigan has had data sharing agreements with Wisconsin and North Dakota for all immunizations since before the COVID-19 vaccination campaign began.
Michiganders who have been vaccinated in another state are urged to bring their vaccination card to their health care provider at their next appointment or to their local health department to have their immunization information updated in MCIR. Although MDHHS is now receiving CDC counts on first doses administered to Michigan residents, that data is aggregate and does not include information about county of residence, age, sex or other demographic information.
