LANSING – As a result of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s request of the federal government to help get more Michiganders vaccinated as quickly as possible, more than 200 federal personnel will be arriving in Michigan this week to assist at three mass vaccination sites: DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Ford Field in Detroit and TCF in Detroit.

“We appreciate the support from our federal partners, especially adding additional boots on the ground to allow for more shots in arms more quickly,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “We are still fighting this virus, and we must continue masking up, socially distancing, washing our hands, and crucially, getting vaccinated. I will continue fighting to make sure Michigan gets the support it needs so we can get back to normal sooner.”

Personnel will serve both clinical and non-clinical roles at the vaccination sites. They are being deployed from the Department of Defense, U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Forest Service. In addition, support is being provided to hire additional ambulance personnel for these sites. They began arriving Wednesday, Apr. 21 and are expected to be fully operational no later than Apr. 28.

“Getting shots into the arms of Michiganders as quickly as possible is essential to combating this pandemic. That is why I urged FEMA to support Governor Whitmer’s request for additional federal resources and personnel who can help administer more COVID-19 vaccines to folks all across our state. As Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, I’m focused on ensuring that Michigan has the resources needed to slow the spread and ensure vaccines are widely available in every community,” said U.S. Senator Gary Peters, Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “Even as more Michiganders get their shots – we’ll still need to continue wearing masks, social distancing, and avoiding large crowds to help prevent infections and save lives.”

“This deployment is a part of our continued commitment to support the State of Michigan’s vaccination effort,” said Kevin M. Sligh, FEMA Region 5 Acting Regional Administrator. “Along with these personnel, FEMA will work together with the state to identify any additional resources that can be brought to bear to vaccinate Michiganders as quickly as possible.”

Michigan recently reached a milestone of 6 million doses of the safe and effective vaccines distributed in just over four months, with the most recent one million vaccines administered in a record 11 days. To date, 47% of Michiganders have received at least one dose, with 33% of Michiganders being fully vaccinated, moving the state closer to its goal of equitably vaccinating at least 70% of Michiganders ages 16 and older as soon as possible. The state has repeatedly hit its daily dose goal of 100,000 shots. 

Michiganders eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine can find and schedule appointments in several ways:

— Find a vaccination location and schedule an appointment with the CDC COVID Vaccine Finder.

— Check the website of your local health department or hospital to find out their process or for registration forms.

— Check additional vaccination sites, such as local pharmacies like Meijer, Rite Aid,  Walgreens, CVS, Kroger, Walmart (Mid/Central and Northern MI) or Snyder Drugs (U.P. residents).

— Residents who don’t have access to the internet or who need assistance navigating the vaccine scheduling process can call the COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136 (press 1) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Michigan residents seeking more information about the COVID-19 vaccine can visit Michigan.gov/COVIDvaccine. Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.