Media, please note that the rescheduled clinics mentioned in the briefing below are by appointment only. The people who were scheduled for the postponed clinics will be rescheduled individually by the Public Health Department, and not necessarily on those days.
Joint Information Center
Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021
As of 9:30 a.m on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, Calhoun County has a cumulative total of 8,140 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported to Calhoun County Public Health Department (CCPHD), with a total of 215 deaths attributed to the virus. This information is updated once daily, Monday through Friday, at www.calhouncountymi.gov.

The state's vaccine dashboard shows that 21,313 doses have been administered in Calhoun County. This includes first and second doses for all individuals who are residents and who have received the vaccine based on their employment and other eligible affiliations within Calhoun County.
COVID-19 Vaccine Information
Due to yesterday's winter weather event, second dose vaccination clinics were rescheduled to Saturday and Monday, Feb. 20 and 22, still within the CDC's recommended timeframe for receiving the second dose.
 
In Calhoun County, total shots administered are, 7,087 first dose and 2,785 second dose shots. Last week, between Feb. 7-13, the Public Health Department administered 2,289 shots.

The second dose for the COVID-19 vaccine is critically important, and so the Public Health Department schedules appointments for that second shot at the same time the first appointment is scheduled. With each weekly shipment of vaccine, the Health Department sets aside adequate amount of second round vaccine to fully serve the individuals that have already received their first dose. The first shot primes your immune system. As it’s ramping up, your immune system is learning about the coronavirus and building a memory it will rely on if it encounters the virus. The second shot expands and reinforces that memory. This information can be found at calhouncountymi.gov/covidvaccine and total numbers of individuals vaccinated by the Public Health Department are updated once a week.

The COVID-19 vaccine is starting to become more widely available in Calhoun County with our local hospitals (Bronson Battle Creek, Grace Health and Oaklawn Hospital) now administering shots. Additionally, Rite Aid has confirmed vaccination in multiple locations in Battle Creek and Marshall. The Calhoun County Public Health Department encourages residents to pursue any of these options that they are eligible to sign up for. If seniors aged 65 and over are successful in receiving your vaccine, please call the Public Health Department at 269-441-0976 to have your name removed from our current waitlist. Provide your name and telephone number when leaving your message.

The Public Health Department waitlist for individuals 65+ to receive the COVID-19 vaccine exceeds 6,000 + individuals, but with increasing partnerships and as more vaccine becomes available, this list will decrease. The Calhoun County Public Health Department is working to vaccinate as many people as possible as efficiently as possible, with every resource available.

Other sources of vaccine in Calhoun County:

Keep up with Calhoun County vaccine efforts at
Beware of Scams
We are aware of various scams and viral misinformation in our community regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and its distribution in Calhoun County. We ask that the community be vigilant against requests for information (like social security numbers) in order to receive the vaccine, because the Public Health Department will never ask for that personal of information when scheduling a vaccine appointment. Additionally a Facebook post in a local Group suggested that individuals were turned away from receiving vaccination due to ethnicity, and while the situation mentioned was fabricated, we want to assure neighbors that under no circumstances will a person be turned away from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine due to ethnicity or race. 
 
Additionally, law enforcement would like to warn the public not to purchase or receive stolen or counterfeit vaccine from any source. To ensure individuals' safety and maintain the integrity of the United States' vaccination process, residents should only receive the COVID-19 vaccine from approved pharmacies or healthcare providers. All opportunities as listed in this email above are following state-mandated prioritization for dissemination of the vaccine, and users should be wary of any organization that promises something else.


Vaccine Education Task Force Update
A workgroup of the Population Health Alliance of Calhoun County and the Joint Operation Center is focusing on community education about COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy within communities of color and those 18-35 years old. The group has begun collaborating with partners like the Albion Health Care Alliance on education efforts and recruiting "community trust agents" that will help share accurate information about the vaccine with neighbors. This education campaign will address questions from communities of color, will encourage people to seek out more information, and will include both print and digital assets for partners to share.
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For updates from Calhoun County, about County operations and COVID-19 in Calhoun County, visit the County website, calhouncountymi.gov.

For updates from the City of Battle Creek, please visit battlecreekmi.gov/coronavirus.

The State’s COVID-19 Hotline is available for anyone who has questions or concerns related to the virus. The hotline is open seven days a week from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Call 1-888-535-6136. For state COVID-19 information, visit michigan.gov/coronavirus.
For information, contact
Lucy Blair, Calhoun County Communications Manager

Victor Jovanovich, Public Health Department Communications Specialist

Jessica Vanderkolk, City of Battle Creek Communications Manager