The University of Michigan plans to reopen Michigan Stadium as a COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Dec. 31, a press release announced Wednesday afternoon from Michigan Medicine spokeswoman Kelly Malcolm. The stadium is one of several ‘planned locations’ under the Michigan Medicine distribution plan.
‘The Big House will reopen to play a critical role in the efforts to vaccinate as many people as possible quickly, “reads the press release.
While the stadium was open to the Michigan soccer team during the season, spectators were not allowed to play games. Families of the players were allowed to attend games until Nov. 15, after the Michigan government, Gretchen Whitmer announced a three-week executive order restricting individuals from attending games. Three football games against Maryland, Ohio and Iowa have been canceled due to the rising COVID-19 positivity figures among the team.
According to the press release, hundreds of university students and staff who fall into the Phase 1A priority group – health care workers as well as residents and staff of long-term care facilities – plan to receive vaccinations in the stadium on Thursday. More than 6,000 health workers in Michigan Medicine have already been vaccinated.
Michigan Medicine received an initial shipment of 1,950 vaccines and began vaccinating employees on December 14, a few days after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine for emergency use. UM officials had previously expected vaccination to begin on December 15 and begin throughout the month.
Mary Masson, a spokeswoman for Michigan Medicine, wrote in an email to The Michigan Daily on Dec. 14 that the hospital is confident about its distribution plan.
“Michigan Medicine has mobilized its best and brightest faculty and staff, many of whom are leaders in their respective disciplines, to develop and execute a robust vaccine distribution program,” Masson wrote.
Michigan Medicine announced their two-phase vaccination distribution plan earlier this month. Along with Phase 1A, Phase 1B also includes other workers who are considered “essential”, such as food service workers, educators and police. Phase 1C is for all adults over 65, as well as those at high risk medical conditions.
Phase 2 covers large-scale distribution among all adults. According to a December 14 email from University President Mark Schlissel, the University will eventually obtain enough doses for anyone who wants to get the vaccine.
In November, Michigan Medicine created the COVID-19 Taskforce Vaccine & Therapeutics, which works with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, to create a plan for distribution and identification of priority groups.
UM community members have since been asked to complete a Blue Queue questionnaire, a survey to determine interest in the COVID-19 vaccine and to help the University plan to distribute vaccines as soon as they are widely available to students, faculties and staff.
While some students feel cautious about vaccination, many have said they do confidence in the efficacy of the vaccine and said they intend to receive a dose as soon as possible. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are safe for almost all adults and are at least 94% effective in preventing COVID-19 symptoms.
The management of news editors Barbara Collins and Liat Weinstein can be reached [email protected] and [email protected].
The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges to all of us – including The Michigan Daily – but it did not stop our staff. We are committed to reporting on the issues that are most important to the community in which we live, learn and work. Your donations keep our journalism free and independent. You can support our work here.
Sign up for our Newsletter for a weekly summary of The Michigan Daily’s best stories here.