All Michigan Residents Ages 16 and Over Will Be Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine on April 5

Michigan announced today (March 12) that all residents age 16 and up will be eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine starting on April 5. That's almost a month before the May 1 deadline projected by President Joe Biden.

Here's a new timeline:

March 8 eligibility: 50 and older with disabilities or pre-existing conditions or caregivers of children with special health care needs
March 22 eligibility: All people between the ages of 50 and older or people 16-49 with disabilities or pre-existing conditions
April 5 eligibility: All people ages 16 and over

On March 24, a regional mass vaccination site selected by the federal government will open at Detroit's Ford Field. They're be equipped to administer 6,000 doses a day for two months.

“The safe COVID-19 vaccine is the most effective way to protect you, your family and others from the virus," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement. “It will help the country get back to normal and help the economy.”

As of Wednesday, the state reports that roughly 22% of Michiganders 16 and older had been fully or partially vaccinated.

The state health department has acknowledged that even though everyone 16 and older will be eligible to get vaccinated starting April 5, it could take "several weeks” to get an appointment.