FEMA reimbursing $3.3M to Michigan health department for COVID-19 vaccine scheduling support services

Federal agency is reimbursing services through contracts with Google, Michigan 211

FILE - In this Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020 file photo, a nurse holds a phial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Guy's Hospital in London. As Canadians, Britons and Americans begin getting immunized with a German-developed vaccine against the coronavirus, pressure is building on the European Medicines Agency to approve the shot made by Pfizer Inc. and German company BioNTech. Those countries all approved the COVID-19 vaccine under emergency use rules, meaning it is an unlicensed product. But the EMA approval process for coronavirus vaccines is largely similar to the standard licensing procedure that would be granted to any new vaccine, only on an accelerated schedule. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool, File) (Frank Augstein, Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

FEMA announced on Thursday that $3,355,416 of federal funding will be provided to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) for costs related to the state’s response to the pandemic.

READ: 11 takeaways from Whitmer’s COVID update: Lifting restrictions based on vaccinations

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The funding is provided for the state’s response under the federal disaster declaration of March 27, 2020. It reimburses MDHHS for costs dedicated to COVID-19 vaccine scheduling support services through contracts with Google and Michigan 211.

“FEMA is committed to augmenting COVID-19 vaccination efforts in Michigan,” said Kevin M. Sligh, acting regional administrator of FEMA Region 5. “This grant funding helped ensure the state could provide support services to help individuals access COVID-19 vaccination appointments and ultimately protect themselves from the virus.”

“We appreciate our partnership with FEMA as we continue efforts to combat COVID-19,” said Capt. Kevin Sweeney, deputy state director of Emergency Management and commander of the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division. “This funding will support the state’s goal of vaccinating 70 percent of Michiganders aged 16 and older.”


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About the Author:

DeJanay Booth joined WDIV as a web producer in July 2020. She previously worked as a news reporter in New Mexico before moving back to Michigan.