Michigan lieutenant governor wants national hotspot strategy put in place for distributing vaccines

Biden Administration allocating vaccine doses based on population of each state

Garlin Gilchrist II

DETROIT – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration is asking the federal government to send more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to the state as cases continue surging.

As of Thursday, April 8 Michigan had the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in the nation.

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Speaking on CNN Sunday, Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist addressed his concern about President Joe Biden’s administration refusing to send more doses of the vaccine to the state.

The Biden Administration says that the fair approach is to allocate vaccine doses based on a state’s population.

Meanwhile, the White House is sending extra resources for testing and help to use the doses that Michigan already has at a faster pace.

Still, Gilchrist argues that the Biden Administration needs a hotspot strategy for vaccine distribution.

“What is even more important is effective vaccine doses and administering them is how we’re going to get through this. The State of Michigan is a hotspot. They are asking us to make sure we are spreading vaccine doses to the places that need it the most. We need a national hotspot strategy that does that for the entire country. And right now, Michigan is that hotspot,” said Gilchrist while speaking on CNN Sunday.

He warned that what is happening in Michigan can take place in other parts of the midwest and country as a whole.

A White House official told CNN this weekend that it distributes all of the doses as they get them which suggests that it may not even be possible to give Michigan more doses without taking them away from another state.

“Right now the most need is in the State of Michigan, that is very clear. Every expert nationally and locally agrees. So what we’re asking is that a hotspot strategy be deployed. And when that happens, that’ll make sure that we can respond to the people in our country who need the vaccines the most and that will stop those hotspots from expanding and spreading to other places,” said Gilchrist.

The Latest: Michigan coronavirus cases up to 738,023; Death toll now at 16,500

More: Michigan presses White House for more vaccines amid COVID surge