Counties make gains in vaccine rollout

ALLEGAN — Nearly 1,600 Allegan County residents received COVID-19 vaccinations last week, according to county health officials.

The department said it had enough vaccine supply to host three clinics Jan. 10-16, administering 689 doses to those age 65 and older, health care workers, first responders, police officers, jail and prison staff, PK-12 teachers and workers in childcare centers and protective services.

For the county as a whole, 1,577 residents in Allegan County received the vaccine from Jan. 10-16. According to Michigan’s vaccine dashboard, as of Jan. 19, there had been 4,656 doses of vaccine administered to Allegan County residents. The county has a population of about 118,000, according to 2019 census figures.

As of Wednesday, Jan. 20, the Ottawa County Department of Public Health had administered 4,978 vaccinations to residents, Public Information Officer Kristina Wieghmink said. A total of 18,772 have been administered to Ottawa County residents, according to state data. Ottawa County has about 292,000 people, according to 2019 census figures.

The ACHD stressed that vaccine supplies remain limited and said that just because someone is eligible to receive the vaccine does not mean it will be immediately available. Anyone eligible and interested in receiving the vaccine is encouraged to sign up for notifications on either the Allegan or Ottawa health department website.

Individuals seeking to make appointments are also encouraged to explore options at partner organizations such as Spectrum Health Zeeland Community Hospital and Meijer.

However, ACHD cautioned against making multiple appointments. The department said making multiple vaccine appointments “does direct harm to others by delaying their access to the vaccine.”