This story appeared in The Michigan Radio. Read the full story here.
Flu shot clinics are scheduled at baseball stadiums in Detroit and Lansing Monday and Tuesday. It’s part of a push to get millions of Michiganders vaccinated.
On Friday, state health officials reported nearly 2.4 million Michiganders have received their influenza vaccine this season. The state is more than halfway towards its goal of 4.2 million flu vaccinations. Last year more than three million Michiganders got their flu shot.
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun is the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) chief deputy for health and chief medical executive. She says we need more Michiganders to get their flu vaccine as soon as possible.
“Influenza can be deadly and getting the flu vaccine is a step we can take to protect against it. Every flu-related hospitalization we see this season will put an additional strain on our hospitals that are already dealing with a surge of COVID-19 patients,” says Khaldun.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer says it’s more important for people to get an influenza vaccination this year to, “help us save crucial resources for hospitals to fight the spread of COVID-19.”
Last week, the state of Michigan pushed past 200,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic began in March. Cases of COVID-19 have been rising sharply, setting and breaking single day records at the end of the week.
Flu shots will be available Monday and Tuesday at Comerica Park in Detroit and Jackson Field in Lansing. The doses will be provided by the state of Michigan and administered by Meijer pharmacy teams. The clinics are for everyone, including people who are uninsured or have limited health insurance coverage.
The hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday and noon to 6 p.m. on Tuesday. The Detroit Tigers play at Comerica Park. Jackson Field is the home of the minor league Lansing Lugnuts.