Mobile health units to provide COVID-19 testing, flu shots, other health services

February 11, 2021

This story appeared in Michigan Radio. Read the full story here.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with Wayne State University and Wayne Health to bring COVID-19 testing to more Michiganders using mobile health units.

The mobile health units are based in vans that already serve Detroit and its metropolitan area. The vans are equipped to provide COVID-19 tests, flu vaccines, blood pressure screenings, and HIV tests.

In addition, the mobile health unit staff are trained to offer referrals to social services, like Medicaid, unemployment assistance, and emergency food and shelter.

The partnership with MDHHS is bringing the mobile health units to Flint, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Muskegon in the coming months. State health officials say these locations were selected to address racial disparities that have been apparent in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Philip Levy heads the Mobile COVID Testing Program for Wayne Health. He says the mobility of the units allow health providers to meet people where they are in order to provide them healthcare that might not otherwise be available.

“Meeting people and providing services where they live is critical not only to containing the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to improving health in general,” he says.

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Recommended Immunization Schedules

These schedules list the age or age range when each vaccine or series of shots is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If your child (birth through 6 years old) or adolescent (age 7 through 18 years old) has missed any shots, talk to your child’s doctor about getting back on track.

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Building Blocks for MI Immunity from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)

Vaccine Schedule Based On Your Child’s Birthday
Make sure your child is immunized on schedule. For a complete list of recommended immunizations, just select your child’s birth date.
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Immunization Tracker
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The Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR), is an immunization registry managed by MDHHS and reported to by immunization providers. MCIR allows healthcare providers or individuals to access their immunization records regardless of their location in Michigan. This system also helps to track local and state immunization rates of Michigan residents to ensure immunity to vaccine-preventable illnesses. MCIR is a lifespan registry that includes infant through adult records.

Request a copy of your child’s MCIR record from your doctor’s office or your local health department
Request a copy of your child’s MCIR record from MDHHS department

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Before, during, and after pregnancy protection
When you’re pregnant, you share everything with your baby. That means when you get vaccines, you aren’t just protecting yourself — you are giving your baby some early protection, too. The CDC has guidelines for the vaccines you and your baby need before, during, and after pregnancy.
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There are things you can do before, during and after your child’s appointment to make them easier and less stressful for both of you.
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Mobile app from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
The Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia created a free mobile app called Vaccines on the Go: What You Should Know so you can access credible, science-based information from wherever and whenever you need it.

Find your local Michigan public health department or immunization clinic
See the directory of Michigan’s 45 local public health departments for more information on your child’s immunization record and where to get them vaccinated.

Other Vaccination Organizations & Advocates

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
The Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia provides complete, up-to-date and reliable information about vaccines to parents and healthcare professionals.

Shot by Shot
Stories of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases is a collection of stories from people who have been touched by vaccine-preventable diseases.

Voices for Vaccines
Voices for Vaccines is a parent-led organization that supports and advocates for on-time vaccination and the reduction of vaccine-preventable disease.

Seattle Mama Doc: A Blog by Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson
Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson is a practicing pediatrician and the mother of two young boys. She practices at The Everett Clinic in Mill Creek, Washington, is on the medical staff at Seattle Children’s and is a clinical instructor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington.

Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases
PKIDs’ mission is to educate the public about infectious diseases, the methods of prevention and transmission, the latest advances in medicine, and the elimination of social stigma borne by the infected; and to assist the families of the children living with hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, or other chronic, viral infectious diseases with emotional, financial and informational support.

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Mobile health units to provide COVID-19 testing, flu shots, other health services

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