July 26, 2021 – Health Department of Northwest Michigan COVID-19 Update
The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, but health officials also acknowledge vaccine breakthrough cases are expected.
A vaccine breakthrough infection is defined as the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA or antigen in a respiratory specimen collected from a person at least two weeks after completing their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna or their single dose of Johnson and Johnson “Janssen” vaccine.
The COVID-19 vaccines are a critical tool to bring the pandemic under control. While current vaccines appear to offer strong protection against circulating COVID-19 strains, including the Delta variant, there is currently no vaccine that is 100% effective at preventing illness, said officials with the Health Department of Northwest Michigan. There will be a small percentage of fully vaccinated people who still get sick, hospitalized, or die from COVID-19, but the risk is much greater for those who are unvaccinated, they emphasized. The more opportunity COVID-19 has to spread, the more likely variants will cause illness in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
“Although our four-county jurisdiction has not yet reported the Delta variant, the variant is in our northern Michigan region,” said Dr. Meyerson, Medical Director. “This variant is much more transmissible, and we want to ensure that our residents continue to take precautions to protect themselves, their loved ones, and local businesses from the virus,” he added.
“With residents and visitors traveling in and out of our region, we must be reminded that our greatest protection right now is through vaccination. Getting vaccinated is the extra layer of protection that decreases likelihood of severe illness, hospitalization and death due to this virus,” Dr. Meyerson said.
The health department offers convenient COVID-19 vaccination clinics for all area residents and visitors 12 and older either by appointment ahead of time or simply walking in. Parent consent is required for minors. Anyone may call 800-432-4121 if they have questions or are not able to find a time or date that works for them and/or their child. Clinics offer client choice of Pfizer, Moderna or J&J unless otherwise noted. Upcoming clinics include:
Wednesday, July 28
- 8:15-11:30 a.m., Health Department of Northwest Michigan, 220 W. Garfield Ave., Charlevoix. Vaccine: Pfizer, Moderna or J&J. To schedule an appointment, Click Here
- 1-4:25 p.m. – Health Department of Northwest Michigan, 3434 M-119, Harbor Springs. Vaccine: Pfizer, Moderna or J&J. To schedule an appointment: Click Here
Thursday, July 29
- 12-1 p.m. – First Presbyterian Church, 501 E. Mitchell St., Petoskey. Vaccine: Pfizer and J&J. To schedule an appointment: Click Here
- 1-4:25 p.m. – Health Department of Northwest Michigan, 5 Livingston Blvd., Gaylord. Vaccine: Pfizer, Moderna and J&J. To schedule an appointment: Click Here
- 2:30-4 p.m. – Little Traverse Historical Museum, 100 Depot Ct., Petoskey. Vaccine Pfizer and J&J. To schedule an appointment: Click Here
Friday, July 30
- 1-4:25 p.m. – Health Department of Northwest Michigan, 209 Portage Dr., Bellaire. Vaccine: Pfizer, Moderna and J&J. To schedule an appointment: Click Here
- 2:30-4:30 p.m. – Whippy Dip, 10946 County Hwy 48, Vanderbilt. Vaccine: Pfizer and J&J. To schedule an appointment: Click Here
The calendar on the website www.nwhealth.org lists clinics currently scheduled through August 12.
Stay up to date on the latest information in the Health Department of Northwest Michigan jurisdiction by liking and following our Facebook page and visiting our COVID-19 Data Dashboard. To locate a testing facility, visit the Michigan COVID-19 Test Finder website. To track the risk levels of COVID-19 pandemic indicators, visit the MI Safe Start Map website. For more information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, visit the MDHHS vaccine website or the CDC vaccine website.
