Plenty of Michiganders went to neighboring states like Ohio and Indiana to get the COVID-19 vaccine, especially when availability was more limited at home. Now, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is asking them to notify their primary care provider.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced a plan for the state's reopening called MI Vacc to Normal. The plan will relax COVID-19 restrictions to the percentage of residents that are at least partially vaccinated.
Lynn Sutfin is with MDHHS. She says healthcare providers already keep vaccine history in a registry.
"Their healthcare provider can add that to the Michigan Care Improvement Registry, or the MCIR. In addition, they can also go to their local health department who can also do the same thing, so whichever is more convenient for them."
Those without a primary care provider should contact their local health department, according to Sutfin. She says people self-reporting if they went out of state for the vaccine will help Michigan get data faster while it coordinates with other states and the federal government.
"I know that we are working with the CDC about getting some of this data, as well as we have an agreement with Wisconsin to have them transfer this information to us, and we are working on an agreement with Ohio as well."
The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department in northern Ohio says it doesn't have numbers on the numbers of Michigan residents who got a vaccine through its clinics. The Ottawa County Health Department, also in northern Ohio, says 81 Michiganders were vaccinated at one of the county's vaccination clinics.
According to the St. Joseph County Health Department in Indiana, where South Bend is located, 4389 Michigan residents have gotten vaccinated in the county.
