Members of the UM-Flint community are now able to sign up for vaccination appointments, where COVID-19 vaccines will be administered through Michigan Medicine. 

The Reopening Committee sent an email out on Tuesday, Jan. 26 outlining the steps students, faculty and staff can take to secure an appointment slot. Anyone interested in receiving a vaccine must first complete the Blue Queue Questionnaire. Those who apply will be asked to obtain a medical record number by calling Michigan Medicine at 734-936-4990 or by clicking here. Applicants can then create a MyUofMHealth account to receive vaccine distribution updates. 

From there, those who signed up for an appointment can expect to see a vaccination appointment invitation in their email. Once received, they’ll have 24 hours to confirm their appointment time(s). Since Michigan Medicine administers the Pfizer vaccine in two doses, 21 days apart, students and staff will be asked to consider their availability for two separate time slots. 

Because the supply of COVID-19 vaccines is limited, the Michigan Medicine COVID-19 Vaccine & Therapeutics Taskforce (CVTT) is prioritizing who receives a vaccine based on phases recommended by the CDC and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). 

Michigan moved to Phase 1B of vaccine administration on Monday, Jan. 11, meaning people over the age of 65 and frontline essential workers, like first responders and teachers, are now eligible for vaccination. According to Michigan Medicine’s FAQ page, Phase 1A includes anyone working in a healthcare setting––some of whom have yet to receive their vaccine. 

Phase 2 of the distribution plan, which can be read about in depth on the Michigan.Gov website, includes people over 16 whose risk of contracting COVID-19 is not heightened due to underlying illness. Currently, there is no set date for when Phase 2 will commence.  

According to data from Michigan’s COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard, Genesee County is considered a moderately low vaccine distribution area, with 34,950 Pfizer and Moderna vaccines distributed as of Jan. 28. This is compared to Oakland County, where 146,500 vaccines were distributed, and Washtenaw County, which saw 79,050 vaccines from Dec. 14 to Jan. 28. 

In her State of The State Address on Jan. 27, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer acknowledged the limited distribution of vaccines to Michigan, saying, “The fact of the matter is this: We don’t have the supply we need yet, but we will.” 

Anyone who would like to make a vaccination appointment apart from UM-Flint can do so by visiting their local health department’s website. More information on the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines can be found on the CDC website, or by clicking here.