COVID-19 Vaccine

Updated January 20, 2021

If you are interested in getting the COVID-19 vaccine, please complete the COVID-19 Vaccination Interest Form. You will be contacted to schedule an appointment when we are able to offer you a vaccination. If you cannot complete the form online, call us at 517-546-9850. Please reserve phone lines for those who cannot access online resources. Have questions? Read our Q&A infographic here.

Update: While COVID-19 vaccine supply is still very limited, Livingston County Health Department (LCHD) has received enough doses this week to open a limited number of appointments to a group of randomly identified residents age 65 and older and some essential workers. Moving forward, LCHD will continue vaccinating individuals within Phases 1A and 1B of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ (MDHHS) phased vaccination approach as supplies allow.

Individuals who completed the COVID-19 Vaccination Interest Form will be sorted by priority group and randomly selected to schedule appointments as they become available. LCHD reminds residents that even if you are now eligible for vaccination, it does not mean vaccination is immediately available to you. We know it can be frustrating to wait and appreciate your patience. We are committed to administering our vaccine supply as quickly and safely as possible.

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Click here to view the MDHHS COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard.

A COVID-19 vaccine will be critical in slowing the spread and helping communities recover from the pandemic. Stopping a pandemic will take ALL our tools: handwashing, masks, social distancing, and vaccines. Together, these tools offer the best chance of getting our communities, schools, and work sites back to normal. Please remember we will need to continue using prevention strategies as vaccines become more widely available and for some time after.

Who is currently eligible to receive the vaccine?

Livingston County Health Department (LCHD) is currently vaccinating healthcare workers, residents age 65 and older, and some frontline essential workers - including police officers, first responders, jail and juvenile center staff, and preK-12 teachers and childcare providers. This is in accordance with the Michigan COVID-19 Vaccination Interim Prioritization Guidance.

LCHD reminds residents that even if you are now eligible for vaccination, it does not mean vaccination is immediately available to you. We are working to schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments as fast as we can, but we are limited by supply. At this time, tens of thousands of Livingston County residents are currently eligible to receive the vaccine. However, the current vaccine supply does not meet this demand. Future vaccine shipment dates and quantities are not guaranteed, making it difficult to provide estimated timelines. We ask residents to please remain patient, as we cannot vaccinate everyone eligible immediately. Please complete the COVID-19 Vaccination Interest Form to be added to our contact list for future vaccination appointments.

Vaccination Appointments

COVID-19 vaccination will be offered by appointment only. Livingston County Health Department is currently vaccinating individuals within Phases 1A and 1B of the Michigan COVID-19 Vaccination Interim Prioritization Guidance. Appointments will be added based on the vaccine supply received. Please continue to check this webpage for timely updates.

If you are interested in getting the COVID-19 vaccine: Check to see if vaccination is available through your primary healthcare provider by visiting their website or patient portal. If vaccine is unavailable through other means, you can complete our COVID-19 Vaccination Interest Form. This form will help us determine the phase and priority group for individuals to receive the vaccine and collect contact information. When we are able to offer you COVID-19 vaccination, you will be contacted to schedule an appointment.

If you already have an appointment: Bring a driver's license or photo identification with current address. Work or student identification may also be required at your appointment. Please wear a short sleeve shirt or shirt with a sleeve that can be rolled to the top of your arm.

Priorities and Phases in Michigan

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that residents and employees of nursing homes and similar facilities and health care workers be the first people in the United States to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. States have the option to tailor vaccine priorities for their state. Michigan has released prioritization guidance in accordance with the ACIP. Click here to see the full Michigan COVID-19 Vaccination Interim Prioritization Guidance.

Phase 1A includes paid and unpaid persons serving in healthcare settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials and are unable to work from home as well as residents in long term care facilities.
Phase 1B includes persons 75 years of age or older and frontline essential workers in critical infrastructure.
Phase 1C includes persons 65 to 74 years of age, individuals 16 years of age or older at high risk of severe illness due to COVID-19 infection, and some other essential workers whose position impacts life, safety and protection during the COVID-19 response.
Phase 2 is a mass vaccination campaign for all individuals aged 16 years or older.

At this point, we do not know how long it will take to move through the phases of distribution or the timing and availability of vaccine. We expect that as greater supplies become available, vaccine will become more available to the public. Pictured below is an estimated timeframe for vaccine availability.

Please note that even if you are eligible, vaccine availability will depend on supply. Continue to check this webpage and our Facebook page for the most recent updates and further instructions for getting your vaccine.

How does vaccine distribution work?

In the United States, two COVID-19 vaccines have received emergency use authorization. Shipments of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have begun. Other vaccines are being developed and tested, with the possibility of more COVID-19 vaccines becoming available in the near future.

Livingston County Health Department has received initial shipments of COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination clinics are underway. As a local health department, we are responsible for supporting emergency vaccine distribution and have plans in place to do so. As more vaccine becomes available to LCHD, we will work to coordinate additional vaccination clinics throughout the community and notify priority groups of their eligibility to receive the vaccine.

Currently, supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine at the local level are extremely limited. Hospital Systems and local health departments are receiving limited doses from the state. CVS and Walgreens are receiving doses from the state to vaccinate residents of nursing homes. As improvements are made in the distribution plan by the federal government, the supply of vaccine will increase as will the number of providers. There may also be large vaccination sites established. The goal is that residents should have multiple options through which to receive a vaccine (including doctor’s offices, clinics, and pharmacies).

What does this mean for me?

Initial vaccine shipments are expected to be small. Due to the limited supply, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has released Michigan COVID-19 Vaccination Interim Prioritization Guidance. This guidance outlines several phases and priority groups, which we will utilize during our vaccine distribution efforts.

Please be patient. It may take weeks or months to move through the phases, depending on vaccine supplies. We are working as fast as possible to provide more detailed information. Continue to check this webpage for timely updates regarding vaccine availability.

This webpage is being updated as new information becomes available. Please direct your questions to COVID19@livgov.com.

COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ

When can I get the COVID-19 vaccine?,

We are working to schedule vaccine appointments as fast as we can, but we are limited by supply. Future vaccine shipment dates and quantities are not guaranteed, so we cannot provide estimated vaccination dates.

Vaccination appointments will be offered to priority groups as outlined within the Michigan COVID-19 Vaccination Interim Prioritization Guidance. This guidance outlines several phases and priority groups, which we will utilize during our vaccine distribution efforts.

Individuals who completed Livingston County's COVID-19 Vaccination Interest Form will be sorted by priority group and randomly selected to schedule appointments as they become available. Please be patient and continue to check this webpage for timely updates regarding vaccine availability.

Is there a cost to get vaccinated?,

No fees will be charged to get vaccinated. There will be no cost sharing from insurance plans. Vaccine doses purchased with U.S. taxpayer dollars will be given to the American people at no cost. COVID-19 providers agree to administer vaccine regardless of an individual’s ability to pay and regardless of their coverage status, and may not seek any reimbursement, including through balance billing, from a vaccine recipient. However, vaccine providers will be able to charge administration fees for giving or administering the shot to someone. Vaccine providers can get this fee reimbursed by the patient’s public or private insurance company or, for uninsured patients, by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fund.

Will more than one dose of COVID-19 vaccine be required?,

Yes. The current vaccines need two shots to be effective. It is very important that you receive the vaccine from the same manufacturer both times and get the doses within the required time frame to ensure the best protection from COVID-19. If you receive the Pfizer vaccine the second dose needs to be 21 days after the first dose, and the second dose of the Moderna vaccine needs to be 28 days after the first.

Can any doctor’s office, clinic, or pharmacy offer the COVID-19 vaccine?,

Initially, the federal government will distribute a limited supply of vaccine to each state. Michigan has allocated this limited supply to hospitals and health care settings where workers have contact with patients. Long term care facilities where some of the most vulnerable people live will also receive supply, which will be distributed through pharmacies and local health departments with support from the Michigan National Guard.

Doctor’s offices, clinics, and pharmacies who are enrolled in the vaccination program can offer the vaccine when the vaccine becomes available to them. As supply increases, doctor’s offices, clinics, and pharmacies will be able to obtain the vaccine directly, hopefully in late Spring 2021.

Is the vaccine safe?,

The process used to approve the COVID-19 vaccines is the same proven process that was used to create safe and effective vaccines for the flu, polio, measles, whooping cough and more. While the COVID-19 vaccines are being developed as quickly as possible, routine processes and procedures remain in place to ensure the safety of any vaccine authorized or approved for use.

More information about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine is available at the CDC’s website:

CDC Vaccine Benefits website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccine-benefits.html
CDC Vaccine Safety website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety.html

Does the vaccine have any side effects? ,

After COVID-19 vaccination, you may have some mild side effects. This is a normal sign that your body is building protection. The side effects from COVID-19 vaccination may feel like flu and might even affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Your arm may be sore, red, or warm to the touch. You may experience a low-grade fever, headache, and just a general feeling of “not yourself”. These are signs that your immune system is doing exactly what it is supposed to, which is produce an immune response for you to have protection against this disease.

How are side effects being tracked?
The CDC runs the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), a national system to detect any possible symptoms or side effects that occur after someone has had a vaccine. Anyone who has had a vaccine can report concerns to VAERS.

Can the vaccine give me a COVID-19 Infection?,

No. None of the COVID-19 vaccines currently in development in the United States use the live virus that causes COVID-19. There are several different types of vaccines in development. The goal for each of them is to teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. Sometimes this process can cause symptoms, such as fever. These symptoms are normal and are a sign that the body is building immunity. Learn more about how COVID-19 vaccines work.

It typically takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity after vaccination. This means it is possible a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or after vaccination and get sick. This is because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection.

Will I test positive for COVID-19 after getting the vaccine?,

No. Vaccines currently in clinical trials in the United States won’t cause you to test positive on viral tests, which are used to see if you have a current infection.

If your body develops an immune response, which is the goal of vaccination, there is a possibility you may test positive on some antibody tests. Antibody tests indicate you had a previous infection and that you may have some level of protection against the virus. Experts are currently looking at how COVID-19 vaccination may affect antibody testing results.

Will the mRNA vaccine alter my DNA? ,

No. mRNA stands for messenger ribonucleic acid and can most easily be described as instructions for how to make a protein or even just a piece of a protein. mRNA is not able to alter or modify a person’s genetic makeup (DNA). The mRNA from a COVID-19 vaccine never enters the nucleus of the cell, which is where our DNA are kept. This means the mRNA does not affect or interact with our DNA in any way. Instead, COVID-19 vaccines that use mRNA work with the body’s natural defenses to safely develop protection (immunity) to disease.

Learn more about how COVID-19 mRNA vaccines work.

Will people who have already had COVID-19 be able to get vaccinated?,

Yes. People who have had COVID-19 can still get a vaccine. CDC recommends getting it after you have recovered. You should check with your health care provider if you have questions.

If I already had COVID-19, should I get vaccinated? Shouldn’t I be immune?,

Yes, you should still get the COVID-19 vaccine, even if you have had COVID-19. There is not enough information currently available to say if or for how long after infection someone is protected from getting COVID-19 again; this is called natural immunity. Early evidence suggests natural immunity from COVID-19 may not last very long, but more studies are needed to better understand this.

Do I need to keep wearing a mask after I get vaccinated?,

Yes. Michiganders should continue to wear masks, social distance from those not in their household and wash their hands, even after receiving vaccine. More information is available on the CDC website in their FAQ document.

Where can I find more information?,

Additional resources:

For more information:

How can I help / volunteer?,

If you are interested in volunteering at one of our vaccination clinics in either a medical or non-medical role, please apply to become a member of our Medical Reserve Corps.

Apply here: https://livingston.applicantpool.com/jobs/154244.html

How can I get an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine?,

Complete the COVID-19 Vaccination Interest Form to request a vaccination appointment. If you cannot complete the form online, call us at 517-546-9850 for assistance. Please reserve phone lines for those who cannot access online resources.

No further action is required to request an appointment. Individuals who completed the COVID-19 Vaccination Interest Form will be sorted by priority group and randomly selected to schedule appointments as vaccine supplies become available. Please be patient. Supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine at the local level are extremely limited and it may take weeks to months to move through the phases, depending on vaccine supplies.

If you have other questions or concerns, e-mail COVID19@livgov.com and we will respond as soon as we can.

Where will vaccination clinics be located? ,

Locations for vaccine distribution are determined prior to a clinic being scheduled. Locations are chosen based on the population being served and the amount of vaccine being provided during the clinic. Location information is not released until a clinic is scheduled and opened for registration.