Getting the Coronavirus Vaccine in Detroit and Southeast Michigan

Getting the coronavirus vaccine in Detroit and Southeast Michigan will be challenging as this is a new experience for our country in recent history - we haven’t seen mass vaccination efforts like this since perhaps the Polio vaccinations of the 1950’s.

I am writing this blog post to get as much information out to our communities as quickly as possible, and to help educate folks around vaccine options.

The state of Michigan just published a Vaccine Prioritization Guidance and you can find that PDF by clicking here. I will summarize the key points from the document here.

The state of Michigan just published a Vaccine Prioritization Guidance and you can find that PDF by clicking here. Everyone in Phase 1A should have gotten their first dose of vaccine already, these include Health Care Workers and Residents of Long-term Care Facilities and Staff, like nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Now the State of Michigan is entering Phase 1B and rolling out the vaccine to a broader audience - those 75 years of age and older, Frontline Workers, School and Child Care Staff, and Corrections Facility Staff.

Everyone in Phase 1A should have gotten their first dose of vaccine already, these include Health Care Workers and Residents of Long-term Care Facilities and Staff, like nursing homes and assisted living facilities. If you are in Phase 1A and you haven’t gotten the vaccine, there are a few options that I explored in a previous blog post.

Who is in Phase 1B for Vaccination in Michigan?

Now the State of Michigan is entering Phase 1B and rolling out the vaccine to a broader audience - those 75 years of age and older, Frontline Workers, School and Child Care Staff, and Corrections Facility Staff. If you read the Vaccine rollout document closely, you’ll see the following info about who is in Phase 1B.

PHASE 1B:

• Persons 75 years of age or older and frontline essential workers in critical infrastructure.

• Group A:

  • Persons 75 years of age or older not covered in Phase 1A.

    • This includes those in a congregate setting that were not reached in Phase 1A.

• Group B:

  • Prioritized frontline workers whose work role has frequent or intense exposure, and, due to the nature of the work, are not able to maintain social distance.

  • For example, a first responder may have to physically touch other people in their response, and a child care provider cannot maintain social distance from children when caring for their physical needs.

  • The specific prioritized categories are:

    • Pre-Kindergarten through high school teachers, support staff and child care workers who usually have direct contact with children

    • First responders not covered in Phase 1A (e.g., firefighters, police, conservation officers, inspectors)

    • Corrections workers (e,g,, staff in prisons, jails, juvenile justice facilities)

    • Workers in homeless shelters, congregate child care institutions, and adult and child protective services

• Group C: Other frontline essential workers in sectors essential to the functioning of society and at substantially higher risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 because their work related duties must be performed on site and involve being in close proximity (i.e., within 6 feet) to the public or to coworkers.

  • Frontline essential workers in critical infrastructures include by ACIP are:

    • Food and agriculture workers

    • Critical manufacturing workers

    • Public transit workers

    • Grocery store workers

    • U.S. Postal Service workers

    • Workers with unique skill sets not covered above, such as non-hospital laboratories and mortuary services

• If further sub-prioritization is needed of frontline essential workers due to limited vaccine supply, local health departments may consider prioritizing workers in locations of their jurisdiction where high rates of transmission and/or outbreaks have occurred and/or workers who are at increased risk for severe illness based on age or underlying medical conditions.

The Logistics of How to Get Vaccinated in the City of Detroit if You’re in PHase 1b

The City of Detroit Health Department will be administering the vaccines. The vaccines will be administered drive through style at the TCF center. On Thursday the city began giving on-site vaccines at Senior Care Home, critical care workers and homeless shelters. Friday they started vaccinating city essential (police, fire, EMS, and DDOT). Staring Monday the remainder of those eligible in Phase 1B are able to register on a first come, first serve basis to get vaccinated. This includes essential frontline workers. The call center is open Monday through Friday from 9am-6pm. Call 313.230.0505 be prepared to schedule two vaccine dates (two shots are required two weeks apart).

How to Schedule an Appointment

Starting Monday, Detroit residents age 75 and older and their “good neighbor” drivers 65 and over, will be able to call 313-230-0505 starting Monday to schedule an appointment at the TCF center.  The first appointments will take place on Wednesday.

Detailed information on the TCF testing site is available at detroitmi.gov/covidvaccine. As additional independent vaccination sites at pharmacies and elsewhere come online in the city, a map of locations will be added to the website.

Driving directions to the TCF Center to get the vaccine.

It looks like you will enter the TCF Center’s surrounding area via West Jefferson, turning onto Steve Yzerman Drive near the old Joe Louis Arena site.

Thanks for reading and please share with a neighbor who may not have internet access or a car to get to the vaccine site. You could be that good neighbor that helps prevent the spread of Coronavirus by helping a neighbor get vaccinated.

-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC in Detroit MI

Travel Medicine in Detroit

It's that time of year where people start traveling! If you have travel plans for this summer or fall, let us help you at Plum Health DPC. We have helped several of our members get their vaccines at-cost, we deliver the vaccines in our office, and we save our traveling patients time and money. 

We give our vaccines at-cost to save you money on your trip, from Hepatitis A, to Typhoid, to TdaP, and Malaria prophylaxis, we've got you covered for your upcoming travel. Here are our prices:

• Hepatitis A vaccine $68.40
• Typhoid Vaccine: $72
• Tetanus Diphtheria and acellular pertussis (TDaP): $47.47
• Malarone for malaria prophylaxis: $3.16/pill, or roughly $50 for an 8 day trip

There aren't many travel medicine options in the City of Detroit, and we are happy to be filling a gap in coverage and a gap in care for the folks that are taking trips outside of the country. You may not need all of the above listed vaccines, but we will work together to figure out which are necessary for your trip. The CDC.gov website has a great tool for learning which vaccines you need. 

Thanks for your time, and happy travels,

- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC

Vaccine Finder

Recently, I wrote a blog post about getting your flu shot! #GetYourFluShot And when I was reading articles on the CDC website, I came across Vaccine Finder. Vaccine Finder is a nifty online resource that allows you to enter your zip code to find the nearest clinic or pharmacy that dispenses vaccines.

It lists the basics like the address, phone, hours of operation and website. In addition, as the clinic or pharmacy owner, you can enter in the price of the vaccines that you dispense. As a Direct Primary Care clinic with transparent pricing, we did just that! You can see that our Influenza Vaccine costs $10.53, our Hepatitis A vaccine costs $68.42, and our TDaP vaccine costs $47.47. 

Another cool feature is that you can use the website to hail an Uber to get you to the vaccine dispensing location! 

FYI, we're in Corktown/Southwest Detroit, and if you enter in our zip code (48216), we will be the #1 result! 

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day, and #GetYourFluShot,

- Paul Thomas, MD