LANSING, Mich. — As demand for the coronavirus vaccine dies down, Ingham County Health Department officials are finally ready to close down the mass vaccination site at the MSU Pavilion.
“It’s bittersweet to be closing the third, the final, mass vaccination site after this time,” Deputy Health Officer of Administration Brittany Moore said.
Closing mass vaccination sites is a sign of progress as communities meet vaccination goals, though at 55.9 percent of residents receiving at least their first dose, Ingham County is still far from the 70 percent goal set by state and national leaders.
The county will continue to administer the vaccine to anyone who still wants to get their shot.
“We’re actually pivoting our strategy at this point to go into the community, into neighborhoods. And then, individuals can not only access vaccines through our work in the community but also through our immunizations center with the health department and through one of our Ingham County health centers that is operational five days a week,” Moore said.
The health department fields requests from the community and analyzes data to help decide where their services are most needed.
Ken Phinney works with the Meridian Fire Department but, when the health department announced that they would need volunteer vaccinators back in December, he joined the fight against COVID-19 at the pavilion.
“Honestly I'd like to have seen us go a little longer, maybe get a few more people in. But we're at a point now where the large sites like this aren't really worth being opened with this many volunteers and stuff in here. So going to the out counties now. In the community is the way we're going to be reaching people,” Phinney said.
For Phinney, every vaccination has been a moment of relief he can give to patients.
“I've had people tear up, cry, overjoyed,” Phinney said. “Every vaccination we give is one step closer to our, you know, our group immunity. That way you can go back to a normal life.”
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