The Michigan First-Dose Tracker indicates that, as of June 10, 60% of Michiganders ages 16 and over had received a COVID-19 vaccine. By June 12, more than 892,000 cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed in the state since the pandemic began; but more than 852,000 of those Michiganders had recovered from the disease as of June 11.
The MHA continues to keep members apprised of pandemic-related developments affecting hospitals through email updates and the MHA Coronavirus webpage. Important updates are outlined below.
FDA Extends Shelf Life of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Vaccine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it is increasing the shelf life of J&J/Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine by 1.5 months. This extension comes at a time when hundreds of thousands of doses of the vaccine had been set to expire at the end of June.
The announcement extends the vaccine’s shelf life from three months to 4.5 months and was based on data from ongoing studies, which demonstrated that the vaccine is stable at 4.5 months when refrigerated at temperatures of 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit (2 to 8 degrees Celsius). J&J said vaccine providers should visit its website to check expiration dates of vaccines currently available.
To check the expiration date for a current supply of the vaccine, enter the lot number from the carton or vial at the company’s Expiry Checker webpage or call its automated response system at (800) 565-4008. The J&J COVID-19 vaccine may be administered until 11:59 p.m. ET on the expiry date.
Members are encouraged to use their J&J supply for vaccination at discharge from inpatient or emergency/urgent care settings. If additional doses of this vaccine are needed, providers should use the normal weekly ordering process through the Michigan Care Improvement Registry.
Members with vaccine questions may contact Ruthanne Sudderth at the MHA.
Visitor Screening Requirements Remain in Place
Although there have been many changes to public health orders recently, members are reminded that the requirement that all visitors coming into health facilities be screened for COVID-19 remains in place. This requirement is part of the emergency public health order issued in June 2020, which remains in effect until rescinded. Members with questions may contact Adam Carlson at the MHA.
MDHHS Seeks Healthcare Provider Input on Expanded Vaccine Data Tool
MI Lighthouse is a tool focused on providing granular, community-level vaccine coverage data to local public health departments, built by the University of Michigan and the MDHHS. The current version has been helpful for local public health departments but contains identifiable information. The MDHHS is now looking to expand access to information by building a version of this tool with unidentifiable data for vaccine providers, municipalities and other partners to inform more focused vaccine clinic planning and outreach.
The MDHHS would like to meet with organizations that have a need for statistics on vaccination coverage to inform the planning for building the next version of the MI Lighthouse tool. Organizations that volunteer would be asked to participate in user research interviews and to potentially be the initial testers for the tool. Interested hospitals/health systems should email Kirtana Choragudi at the University of Michigan, with a copy to Sarah Lyon-Callo at the MDHHS.
Additional information on the COVID-19 pandemic is available to members on the MHA Community Site and the MHA COVID-19 webpage. Questions on COVID-19 and infectious disease response strategies may be directed to the MDHHS Community Health Emergency Coordination Center (CHECC).