Health Dept. Expands Priority Groups For Vaccine

As of March 8, 2021, Central Michigan District Health Department opened eligibility for many essential workers, all adults aged 50 and older, and caregivers of individuals with special needs. Individuals meeting these criteria can now self-schedule their own appointment on our website at www.cmdhd.org. Persons who meet the current priority groups and live or work in Arenac, Clare, Gladwin, Isabella, Osceola or Roscommon Counties can schedule.
Frontline/Essential workers now eligible include:
o Food processing and migrant/seasonal farm workers (further defined here)
o Utilities and energy services workers
o Critical manufacturing workers
o Public transit workers
o Grocery store workers
o U.S. Postal Service workers
o Local government workers
o Non-hospital laboratories
o Veterinary clinic staff

PLEASE NOTE: Restaurant workers are NOT currently eligible to receive the vaccine. We will notify the
public when this changes.
• Adults 50 and older now include:
o Anyone age 50 and older with or without a medical condition
• Caregivers of individuals with special needs include:
o Caregiver family members and guardians age 16 and over of children or adults with special health care needs, including any physical, developmental, mental, sensory, behavioral, cognitive, or emotional impairment or limiting condition that requires medical management, health care intervention and/or use of specialized services or programs. The condition may be congenital, developmental, or acquired through disease, trauma, or environmental cause and may impose limitations in performing daily self-maintenance activities or substantial limitations in a major life activity.
“As we continue to receive more vaccine, we are able to adjust the priority groups to allow more individuals to be vaccinated. This is an exciting development as we continue to move forward towards the state’s goal of getting 70% of Michiganders age 16 and up vaccinated as quickly as possible, states Steve Hall, RS, MS, Health Officer for Central Michigan District Health Department.
Please be patient as we continue with our vaccination efforts to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible. Please continue to check our website often for new clinics. If you need help scheduling, please call 2-1-1. We also encourage our community members to help their friends, family and neighbors who do not have internet access schedule an appointment through our website.
The expansion is happening in conjunction with the following members of the Northern Michigan Public Health Alliance: Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department, District Health Department No. 2, District Health Department No. 4, District Health Department #10, Grand Traverse County Health Department, and Health Department of Northwest Michigan. This decision was made among our Health Officers to meet our unique community needs and differs from the guidance set by the State of Michigan. Local health departments are responsible for oversight and implementation of the vaccine strategy within their jurisdictions. They play a crucial convening and coordination role in both the distribution and administration of vaccine.
The latest information is available at www.michigan.gov/coronavirus, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus and https://www.cmdhd.org/novel-coronavirus. To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit www.michigan.gov/covidvaccine.