The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has now authorized boosters for all three, U.S.-approved COVID vaccines. Getting one should be a snap for any eligible person seeking added protection against the deadly virus.
Robin Erb
Robin Erb covers a range of health issues in Michigan, including the industry of aging and the issues facing older residents in Michigan, a state that is aging faster than most others. She joined Bridge in 2019 and has led investigations that tracked millions of dollars in opioid settlement money and explored severe worker shortages in health care that threaten lives and the state's economy. She chronicled the shock and grief of Michigan families in COVID’s wake, as well as state policy decisions and the triumphs of medical breakthroughs. Robin previously spent six years covering health at the Detroit Free Press, documenting the battle over, and the eventual passage of, the Affordable Care Act and Michigan's Medicaid expansion. She studied communications and political science at Miami University and has a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Lourdes University (Toledo, Ohio). She and her husband raised two wonderful children — but have failed miserably at training their Beagle-Bassets — in southeast Michigan. Reach her at rerb@bridgemi.com.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
FDA okays all COVID vaccine boosters and mix-and-match strategy
If the CDC follows suit Thursday, as expected, vaccinated Michiganders should be able to get a booster by the end of the week, even one that is different from the vaccine they received initially.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
COVID vaccine boosters: When, where and how to get them in Michigan
The impending federal approval of Moderna and J and J boosters leaves plenty of questions about who is eligible for which vaccine, how to find them and whether you can also schedule a flu vaccine.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
400 workers out, 1,900 exempt after Henry Ford COVID vaccine mandate
The Detroit-based hospital system made the numbers public after a deadline passed for staff to get vaccinated. A dozen Michigan health systems were surveyed on staff vaccine rates, offering varying levels of transparency.
Posted inTalent & Education
COVID outbreaks in Michigan schools already 8 times higher than last year
Experts attribute the rise to more students in classrooms, fewer masks and a more contagious delta variant, sending infections up in Michigan classrooms.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan counties dump mask rules for thousands of pupils amid budget mess
A state budget praised by both sides is causing widespread confusion and angst because of provisions that threatened funding for agencies that impose school mask mandates.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Whitmer administration’s top COVID doc says she steps away with no regrets
The most memorable moment in state government for Dr. Joneigh Khaldun? A loading dock in Ann Arbor.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Getting COVID tested in Michigan was supposed to be easier by now. It isn’t.
A surge in new cases means more demand for testing. But a shortage of home tests and health workers means a scramble for consumers who seek rapid tests to return to work or school, or simply find reassurance.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan top doc Khaldun leaves state COVID role for private sector
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, among the most visible faces of Michigan’s COVID-19 response, will leave the job next Thursday. Her departure comes as health officials across the state seek greater protection against threats from the public.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Pfizer COVID vaccine booster approved for Michiganders. Now what?
Mass vaccination clinics long ago folded up, and hospitals are short-staffed now. Getting a booster is for now likely easier at a local pharmacy or doctor’s office. We break down who is eligible for a Pfizer booster.