Michigan Association of Health Plans
Become A Member
Written on September 1, 2021

MAHP Urges Michigan Residents to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine

All eligible Michigan residents should get the COVID-19 vaccine

The best way to end the pandemic is by getting vaccinated. When you’re vaccinated, you can hug your family and friends and go back to doing your favorite activities that the pandemic halted. When you get vaccinated, you are saving not only your life but potentially someone else’s life as well. It is our duty to help each other during a public health crisis and getting vaccinated is the best way to protect ourselves, our families and our communities.

The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective

The COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson have undergone serious clinical testing to ensure that Michiganders can safely get vaccinated, and they have proven to reduce hospitalization and death in thousands of trial participants. COVID-19 vaccines are not a political tool. The approval process is medical and scientific and based entirely on safety and effectiveness data.

All three vaccine manufacturers have been authorized for use under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Pfizer vaccine has received full FDA approval. Side effects after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, like fatigue and a sore arm, are normal and show that the vaccine is working and doing its job.

Getting vaccinated is a community effort and we need all hands on deck

Some immunity to COVID-19 is possible in two ways – by getting the disease or through vaccination. The best way to reach community immunity is not by exposure to the virus, but by ensuring that the population is vaccinated. Vaccines prevent the virus from spreading and surviving, so as more Michiganders are vaccinated, the chances of the virus spreading get smaller.

The COVID-19 vaccine is more accessible than ever across Michigan

No matter where you live in Michigan, you can find a COVID-19 vaccine near you. COVID-19 vaccines are completely free, and you do not need to provide proof of insurance or ID.

  • Check your local health department or hospital website to sign up or find a walk-in clinic (map of local health departments);
  • Check additional vaccination sites, such as local pharmacies like Meijer, RiteAid, Kroger, CVS, Walmart(Mid/Central and Northern MI), Snyder Drugs (U.P. residents), or the federal government’s VaccineFinder.org;
  • Residents who don’t have access to the internet or who need assistance navigating the vaccine scheduling process can call the COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136 (press 1) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • The federal government also has COVID-19 vaccination sites at VaccineFinder.org.

Michigan has worked hard to flatten the curve. We can end this pandemic, but it starts with getting vaccinated and sharing the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine.

  back to blog