A twofold pair of lawmakers representing Michigan wrote to President Biden
Joe Biden Manchin Throws Cold Water On Using Budget Reconciliation Moderate GOP Senators And Biden Clash At Start Of Infrastructure Debate Omar Rejects Biden Administrator For Continuing ‘Building Trump’s Xenophobic And Racist Wall’ MORE on Thursday urged him to increase vaccination allocation for the state amid an increase in the number of cases.
“The number of new cases of coronavirus in Michigan has risen rapidly in recent weeks, putting increasing strain on the state’s public health infrastructure,” Reps wrote. Fred Upton
Frederick (Fred) Stephen Upton Regent of the University of Michigan, who chairs the GOP state, censored for ‘witch’ comment Michigan GOP leader apologizes after ‘murder’ comment Michigan GOP leader calls ‘murder’ in response to question about anti-Trump Republicans MORE (R) and Debbie Dingell
Deborah (Debbie) Ann DingellBiden risks first big fight with progressives A year later, lawmakers crave hugs and Chuck E. Cheese FBI informant describes plot against Whitmer MORE (D). “Greater allocation of vaccines to the state will help save lives and effectively tackle this new outbreak.”
However, the Biden administration has not changed the formula for shipping vaccines to Michigan.
When asked about the possibility at a briefing Wednesday, officials did not rule out the idea entirely, but pointed to other steps, such as increasing testing in youth sports, which has helped fuel outbreaks, and sending more staff to the state.
“I want to give you the impression that there is not one tool, there is a menu of things – including personnel, personnel, therapies, locations and other types of things – that we discuss with states in situations like this,” White’s senior advisor Home to the COVID-19 response, Andy Slavitt said when asked to send more vaccines to Michigan.
Slavitt also said vaccines could be shifted within the state to hard-hit places.
Like other states, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that there is a gap between the vaccine doses delivered to Michigan and the number delivered so far.
The state is seeing an alarming spike. Michigan has by far the most per capita cases of any state in the country, and hospital admissions are also accelerating, from a total of about 850 in early March to over 2,500 now.
Several prominent experts have called for more vaccines to be sent to the state.
“We’ve seen Israel use very aggressive vaccinations to stop a wave and we’re not doing it in Michigan,” tweeted Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research.
The Washington Post reported in late March that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
Gretchen Whitmer Five states account for nearly 44 percent of new COVID-19 cases in the US. University of Michigan Regent Chair of GOP State Censored Over ‘Witches’ Comment Whitmer Criticizes GOP Election Reform in Fauci Kissing Video MORE (D) had asked the White House for more offer.
Now, members of Congress in both sides are increasing pressure and calling for changes to vaccine allocations, which are largely based on a state’s population.
“Currently, vaccine allocation by the federal population is based on population and does not take into account the rising number of COVID-19 cases or the public health situation facing states like Michigan,” wrote Upton and Dingell. “Driving up additional vaccines to Michigan and other hard-hit areas is in line with public health expert guidelines.”