LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Michigan health officials are continuing their plea for people in the state to get vaccinated against COVID-19, saying new data from the Michigan Health and Hospital Association proves that the majority of Michigan residents severely sick with COVID-19 are unvaccinated.
In a news release Thursday, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services director Elizabeth Hertel said, “The data is clear: if you are unvaccinated, you are risking hospitalization or death. We have a safe and effective vaccine that is quite literally saving lives. Michigan residents absolutely need to get vaccinated to keep their loved ones safe this holiday.”
Based on recent data from most Michigan health systems, the Michigan Health and Hospital Association says three out of four COVID patients are unvaccinated (76%), 87% of COVID intensive care unit patients are unvaccinated, and 88% of COVID ventilator patients are unvaccinated.
“Michigan’s health care systems are stretched beyond their limits – so much so that the U.S. Department of Defense is providing clinical staffing support to hospitals throughout the state that are operating at capacity, delaying nonemergency medical procedures and placing their emergency departments on diversion,” said Brian Peters, CEO of MHA. “This data confirms what the situation in our hospitals is already telling us: get vaccinated, whether it is your first dose, vaccination for your children or a booster dose.”
Michigan’s number of hospitalized COVID-19 cases reached a new high this week, with 4,291 patients hospitalized. Recently, Michigan reached 70% of residents 16 and older who have received their first vaccine dose, but cases are surging in the unvaccinated population.
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