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ZUIDVELD, Mich. – Michigan officials said adults 65 and older will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine as of Monday, Jan. 11.
For now, people will have to have an online appointment to get a vaccine. No walk-ins are taken.
Beaumont Health sent 900,000 emails on Thursday evening to seniors already enrolled in myBeaumontChart, alerting them that appointments were available. Many people responded, causing the system to crash.
READ: Vaccinations: How do I find appointments, information about phases
“We are happy to be able to continue with this, but I really want people to be patient,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan Chief Medical Executive. This is not like a flu shot. You can’t just walk or call a facility and demand a vaccine. “
Once the system has been restored, it may not be possible to book an appointment weeks in advance. Each hospital system or health department is dependent on the number of doses the federal government and state roll out on a weekly basis, which means it will likely take several online attempts to get an appointment.
At Beaumont Health, once you have made the appointment, you will be referred to the hospital’s Southfield Service Center. You will then see 12 registration desks that will send you to one of the 24 vaccination stations. After receiving the vaccine, go to an observation room for 15 minutes and then make a follow-up appointment for a second dose.
“The flow is very fast, but that is why we emphasize that you must have an appointment. We don’t want people to queue, ”said Dr. Jeffrey Fischgrund of Beaumont Health. “We have found that this is the safest way to vaccinate most people at once.”
Telephone appointments may be possible in the future.
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