LANSING, Mich. – Nursing home residents and staff will begin receiving the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine made by Moderna through the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-term Care Program.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with CVS and Walgreens to manage and facilitate safe vaccination of this patient population.

The partnership is a national initiative to provide COVID-19 vaccine to the Phase 1A priority groups – paid and unpaid persons serving in healthcare settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials - of long-term care facility residents and staff.

It is expected to take about three weeks to complete vaccinations due to there being about 91,000 people.

MDHHS is following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for prioritization of distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines.

It is important to note, vaccination in one phase may not be complete before vaccination in another phase begins.

MDHHS Chief Medical Executive and Chief Deputy for Health Dr. Joneigh Khaldun explains what it means to be able to enroll long-term care facilities into this program.

“We know the residents of these facilities are at high-risk for severe illness and death from the virus, and early vaccination of both residents and those caring for them is critical to help protect this population,” said Dr. Khaldun. “We are pleased that more than 5,000 long-term care facilities – including more than 400 skilled nursing facilities – have been enrolled in the program in Michigan to receive the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.”