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U.P. continues to get vaccine shipments

ESCANABA — As the state continues its campaign for “shots in arms,” Upper Peninsula residents are lining up to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but availability has dampered healthcare providers’ efforts.

Not all residents are qualified for vaccination at this stage and even those who are may struggle to get access to the vaccines, which are in limited supply. A rush of residents over the age of 65 seeking vaccination overloaded the phones at Public Health, Delta & Menominee Counties earlier this week, pausing appointment scheduling and leaving many frustrated.

According to the state, 16,471 Yoopers had been given at least one round of vaccination against COVID-19 as of Wednesday. The state reports 1,568 people have been vaccinated in Delta County, 292 people have been vaccinated in Menominee County, and 285 people have been vaccinated in Schoolcraft County.

Some of the doses reported are second doses, which are required for the vaccine to be effective.

A lack of available doses has been widely blamed for the state’s slower-than-anticipated vaccine roll out. In addition, many of the doses have been routed to high-population areas, like Oakland County, which has administered more doses than any other area of the state. Oakland County has administered 50,293 and received 81,725 doses as of Thursday.

The numbers in the U.P. have been more modest, but have generally been in line with most of Lower Michigan’s counties that are not urban centers.

As of Thursday, the Delta County had received four shipments of COVID-19 vaccines, as of Thursday afternoon, totaling 3,125 doses. Two of the shipments, 1,950 doses worth, were of the Pfizer vaccine and were delivered to OSF St. Francis Hospital in December. An additional December shipment of 200 doses of the Moderna vaccine was delivered to Public Health Delta & Menominee Counties, and PHDM received a shipment of 975 doses of the Pfizer vaccine in January.

Menominee County has received two shipments of the vaccine, both of which were 100-dose shipments of the Moderna vaccine. One of the shipments went to PHDM’s Menominee County branch and the other went to the Hannaville Indian Community’s Tribal Health Center. Both shipment were delivered in December.

Schoolcraft County, which has recorded significantly fewer confirmed cases than most of the state, has received a total of 2,050 vaccine doses, 1,950 of which were the Pfizer vaccine and 100 of which were of the Moderna vaccine. The vaccine was sent in three shipments. In December, 975 doses of the Pfizer vaccine were delivered to Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital and 100 doses were delivered to the LMAS District Health Department for distribution in Schoolcraft County. A shipment of an 975 additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine was delivered to the hospital in early January.

Across the Upper Peninsula, a total of 31,075 vaccine doses have been delivered, according to the state. These doses were primarily of the Pfizer vaccine.

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