Detroit Regional Chamber > COVID-19 Vaccine Updates

COVID-19 Vaccine Updates

The Detroit Regional Chamber is launching COVID-19 Vaccine Updates. As the representatives and advocates for business across the region, this site will serve as a central repository of data, resources for employers, and facts about the vaccine. Effective distribution and administration of the vaccine will be critical to combat the pandemic and drive Michigan’s economic recovery.

Upcoming Town Halls from Subject Matter Experts:

Listen to Previous Town Halls:

Vaccine Distribution Map from the State of Michigan

COVID-19 Vaccine Updates:

Bipartisan Group of Governors and Lt. Governors Encourage Everyone to Get Vaccinated

The governors and lieutenant governors from Michigan Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin joined together to encourage everyone to make a plan for how they can get the safe…

State Passes Along More Moderna, Pfizer Vaccines to Health Systems, Health Depts.

Michigan officials said Wednesday they received federal approval to redirect another 63,000 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses next week to health systems and health departments, a welcome development that vaccination providers have been clamoring for over the past week.

COVID-19 Town Hall on Vaccines: To Mandate or Not to Mandate? With Dykema

View slides from the presentation. Now that a COVID-19 vaccine is a reality, many employers are contemplating whether they will be able to require employees to take it when…

Federal Government to Send More COVID-19 Vaccines to Michigan

A flood of new doses of coronavirus vaccines are headed to states, said Alex Azar, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, at a Tuesday afternoon news conference. But just how many doses Michigan and other states will get will depend on two factors, Azar said: The size of the state’s senior citizen population and how efficiently each state is getting those doses into the arms of its people. Learn more.

City of Detroit Launches COVID-19 Vaccinations at TCF Center

Detroit has 40,000 residents over 75 years old. The city expects to vaccinate 5,000 people per week over the next month. Duggan said he wants to ramp it up to 5,000 a day and aim to get vaccines to all adults who want them by April or May, but that all depends on availability.

Gov. Whitmer, Coalition of Governors Urge Federal Government to Release Vaccines to States

A group of governors including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Operation Warp Speed Chief Operating Officer General Gustave Perna requesting that the federal government distribute the millions of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine doses that are currently being held back by the Trump Administration. View the full letter.

Detroit Leases TCF Center Garage, Will Start Vaccinating 20,000 Seniors Wednesday

The city of Detroit plans Monday to start scheduling 20,000 COVID-19 vaccination appointments for senior citizens in a drive-up system at the downtown TCF Center. Mayor Mike Duggan and other officials laid out details Thursday on their strategy to disseminate thousands of vaccine doses to front-line workers, residents over 65 years old, and those in long-term care settings like nursing homes.

Michigan Entering Next Phase for COVID-19 Vaccinations on Jan. 11 for Those Over 65, Police, Teachers

To help reach the state’s goal of vaccinating 70% of Michiganders over age 16 and bring a quicker end to the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) officials announced Jan. 6 that the state is moving to a new phase of vaccination on Monday, Jan. 11.

WATCH: Chamber CEO Stresses Need for Vaccination, Controlling the Virus on ‘Flashpoint’

Watch Chamber President and CEO Sandy K. Baruah discuss priorities for 2021, including vaccinating the public and getting the coronavirus under control, in an interview on Flashpoint.

Historic Journey: Pfizer Prepares to Deliver 6.4 Million Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines

Three semi-trucks loaded with the nation’s first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine rolled out of the parking lot of the Pfizer manufacturing plant early Sunday morning, met with cheering crowds of local residents who said they were proud of their hometown’s contribution to science, and helping to bring the end to the coronavirus pandemic.

Gov. Whitmer Announces Bipartisan ‘Protect Michigan Commission’ to Educate Michiganders on COVID-19 Vaccine

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-193 creating the bipartisan Protect Michigan Commission within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to help raise awareness of the safety and effectiveness of an approved COVID-19 vaccine, educate the people of this state, and help protect the health and safety of all Michigan residents.

What to Know Ahead of the FDA’s Review of Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccine Advisory Committee will hold a day-long open meeting to discuss whether or not to authorize Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Starting at 9 a.m. Thursday, the FDA will present its review of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine data to its independent panel of outside experts. Their official title is the “Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee.”

State of Michigan Provides Update on COVID-19 Vaccination Plans

As COVID-19 vaccines approach final approval in the U.S., the state’s health care, budget, and operations experts are preparing to get Michigan residents vaccinated. Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan’s chief medical…

Michigan Could Receive First Shipment of Coronavirus Vaccine by Dec. 15

The state of Michigan has identified 48 hospitals and 12 local health departments that will receive the first shipment of coronavirus vaccines for distribution to frontline health care workers, possibly as early as Dec. 15. All major health systems will receive the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines once the FDA gives emergency use authorization and the CDC authorizes which frontline health care workers and nursing home residents will be inoculated in the first wave.

Duggan: 5,000 Detroit Residents Per Day Could Get COVID-19 Vaccine in 2021

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan appeared on CBS’s “Face the Nation” to discuss the roll-out of a COVID-19 vaccine in Detroit to a national audience. Duggan discussed hopes to vaccinate 5,000 Detroiters per day in 2021. Read more and watch the full interview.

Ford orders 12 Ultra-Cold Freezers to Store COVID-19 Vaccines for Workers

Ford Motor Co. has ordered a dozen ultra-cold freezers to store vaccines globally when they become available in an effort to keep COVID-19 from disrupting its operations again. This is in an effort to make the vaccine, when ready, available to its employees on a voluntary basis.

U-M Economists: Vaccine Could Boost U.S. Growth in 2021

The outlook continues to be clouded by COVID-19 but a team of University of Michigan economists sees encouraging signs that could bring economic life close to normal by the end of 2021. Much, though, will depend on how readily a vaccine becomes available by next summer. The annual U.S. Economic Outlook, released Thursday morning, indicated that the real gross domestic product is expected to rise by 4.2% in 2021.

Pfizer Says Early Data Signals COVID-19 Vaccine is Effective

Pfizer says an early peek at its vaccine data suggests the shots may be 90% effective at preventing COVID-19, indicating the company is on track later this month to file an emergency use application with U.S. regulators. Plus, learn more about requiring vaccines in the workplace during a Town Hall session on Nov. 17 at 11 a.m.