St. Joe-Benton Harbor News

The efforts put into Operation Warp Speed have produced positive results, and the rewards are being realized throughout the nation, as vaccines are being shipped out to communities near and far to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

From the Upper Peninsula to Detroit, approximately 26,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have been sent to health departments in 10 counties, Bridge Michigan reported. It is the first wave of what is expected to be 84,000 doses shipped to 16 counties as the process of vaccinating the first round of recipients gets underway. The relief effort will also be bolstered with the Moderna vaccine, which was the second one to be approved by the FDA.

The second vaccine will result in 340,000 vaccinations by the end of the year, which is 3.4% of the state’s population, according to Bridge Michigan.

The first vaccines will mainly be distributed among health care workers, along with staff and residents in the state’s nursing homes, where an estimated one-third of the state’s 11,500 deaths have occurred. The state plan also highlights vulnerable communities, such as the elderly, racial and ethnic minority groups, and tribal communities. Others include those in correctional facilities -- which have proven to be hot spots for spreading COVID-19 -- the homeless, students at colleges and universities, and people living in the rural areas of the state.

Initial results indicate that so far, Oakland County has received the most vaccines at 21,450 doses. Wayne County has received 7,800, with Macomb receiving 6,825 and Kent County receiving 11,700 doses.

Also, a total of 13,321 vaccines have been administered. Of those receiving the vaccine, seven were females between the ages of 16 and 19. Among women, 2,254 doses were administered to those between the ages of 30 and 39, and women between 40 and 49 received 1,870. Bridge Michigan also reported that among men, 1,585 between the ages of 30 to 39 were vaccinated, and those in the age group of 40 to 49 received 1,235 doses.