Detroiters don’t have to leave home, city will bring COVID-19 vaccine to them – Detroit Free Press

Detroiters, you don't have to leave your house to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

The city willbring the shot to you.

The city health department announced Thursday that it is expanding its home vaccination efforts to all Detroiters age 12 and older, not just those who are homebound and can't get to a vaccination clinic.

We want to make sure everyone who wants a vaccine can get one and this latest effort is taking it one step further, Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair said. This is an even more personalized and public health approach. We are making house calls to anyone who wants to get vaccinated.

Registered Nurse Precious McCormick administers a dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to a Detroit resident outside of the Neighborhood Service Organization in Detroit on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Central City Integrated Health paired up with The Salvation Army during their Bed & Bread Club delivery route as they deliver meals to those in need to help supply access to the COVID vaccine to Detroit residents who might not have transportation.(Photo: Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press)

Fair saidthe effort is a big undertaking, but is key to continuing the city's efforts to remove barriers and get more residents inoculated.

The city's vaccinationrate is among the lowest in the state with 37.5% of eligible residents age 12 and older receiving at least one doseof COVID-19 vaccine and 30.5% of Detroiters fully vaccinated, according to thestate's vaccine dashboard.

The dashboard indicates more than 4.9 million Michiganders age 16 and older (61.3% of the population) have received at least one dose ofCOVID-19 vaccine as of Wednesday.

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Teams in the city began vaccinating homebound residents earlier this month and thateffort will continue.

But nowany Detroiterwho wants to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at home can call 313-230-0505 to schedule an appointment.

Teams also will go door-to-door letting Detroiters know of the opportunity to get a vaccine at home. Anyone interested can make an appointment or get vaccinated at that time.

Team members will be in uniforms and have identification when they arrive.

Kenya Meriedy, a nurse from Get Ready Vaccine, prepares COVID-19 vaccines in Bloomfield Hills on May 5, 2021.(Photo: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press)

The city health department continues to offer walk-in locations throughout Detroit where residents can get inoculated with or without an appointment. For a list of locations and hours, go to http://www.detroitmi.gov.

More: Detroit to inoculate homebound residents in new COVID-19 vaccine push

More: 'I am very, very happy to get it,' homebound Redford Twp. woman says of COVID-19 vaccine

Demand for COVID-19 vaccines outpaced supply in the early months of the vaccination effort at the beginning of the year.Now,supply is outpacing demand as interest in the vaccines has waned.

Michigan lifted most of its COVID-19 restrictions, including mask and gathering orders, on Tuesday as its vaccination effort continues and COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations fall.

Officials are urging eligible residents to get vaccinated, especially with the delta variant circulating. That strain originated in India and is highly transmissible and may cause more serious infection.

There were 32 cases of the delta variant identified in Michigan as of Wednesday, with 11 of the cases identified in out-of-state people who were tested in Michigan, said Lynn Sutfin, a spokeswomanfor the state health department.

More: Michigan confirms 25 cases of COVID-19's highly contagious delta variant

Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, said Tuesday that the delta variant is now doubling in prevalence every two weeks and accounts for 20.6% of sequenced cases nationally.

Biden was hoping that 70% of adult Americans would have at least one dose of vaccine by July 4, but federal officials acknowledged earlier this week they may be short of that goal. Biden also previously announced a mayors challenge to see which city could grow its vaccination rate the most by the Fourth of July.

Mayors in Detroit, Sterling Heights and Westland are among 114mayors from dozens of states and Washington, D.C.whojoined the challenge, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors website.

Staff writer Kristen Jordan Shamus contributed to this report.

Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter.

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Detroiters don't have to leave home, city will bring COVID-19 vaccine to them - Detroit Free Press