Photo from Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash

Written by Tanya Terry

Over all COVID-19 rates have been up considerably, according to Rick Sadler, PhD, MHP, associate professor for Michigan State University Division of Public Health.  In addition, Sadler pointed out hospitalizations were up.

Sadler acknowledged the rates were recently down.

“But guess what now we’re twice as high as we were last week,” he explained in the May 6 Flint COVID-19 Community Webinar presented by the Healthy Flint Research Coordinating Center.

Test positivity rates May 2-May 8 were 20.1%, with 200.3 new cases per 100,000 population during the same period, according to the MI Safe Start Map.

Sadler said the surveillance being done by various entities was about prevention, not reaction.

“We don’t want to be reacting if we all of a sudden see there’s an outbreak,” he added.  “There’s an increase going on right now. “

Sadler said those who are unvaccinated and who are at-risk, as well as anyone in the general population should be a little more careful in the weeks to come because “there’s an outbreak brewing.”

According to Sadler, if you look at a national database, such as the New York Times website, the data may not match that of the local health department.

“New York Times is relying on either state level reporting or broader level reporting. They can’t zoom in. They can’t identify the same disparities, particularly at the municipality level or within a race group that we can because we’re getting the individual data.”

Several vaccines sites are still available throughout the city.

“But they’re not going on every week like they once were,” said Yvonne Lewis. Lewis is the founder/CEO of the National Center for African American Health Consciousness for the Healthy Flint Research Coordinating Center. In collaboration with the Flint community, the Healthy Flint Coordinating Center (HFRCC) is a partnership among the University of Michigan – Flint, University of Michigan and Michigan State University.

“We have seen a decrease in the amount of community members coming out to receive their vaccination,” said Ashley Herbig, emergency preparedness coordinator for the Genesee County Health Department.

“We also have vaccinated 63% of the population in Genesee County,” Herbig added at the webinar.

Data from the Genesee County Health Department updated May 11 showed 63.3% of the county’s 12 and up population had received their first dose, and 52.8% of this population had been fully vaccinated. This means there are many in our community who haven’t been vaccinated.

Information on where community members can get first, second or booster doses of Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines is available below.

 

 

 

GENESEE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT REGULAR WEEKLY CLINICS

GENESEE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT POP UP CLINICS

Michigan United remaining May vaccine events