City Expands TCF Vaccine Eligibility To Detroiters Age 60 And Older

Press release from The City of Detroit:

Any Detroit resident who is 60 or older now can be vaccinated at the TCF Center as the City of Detroit today announced expansion of its COVID-19 vaccine eligibility list. The announcement is the latest move by the City of Detroit to reach its most vulnerable populations and lifts the guidelines that Detroiters 60 or older needed to have underlying medical conditions. The announcement also modifies the expansion of the Good Neighbor program announced by Mayor Mike Duggan yesterday. That program now allows area residents age 55 or older (from the city or suburbs) to be vaccinated at TCF Center if they schedule an appointment with a Detroiter age 60 or older and drive that individual to the appointment at the TCF Center.

The City also is expanding Senior Saturdays to include two additional sites starting this weekend, one in southwest Detroit and the other on the east side. Detroit seniors age 60 and older have four locations to get COVID-19 vaccinations during Senior Saturdays.

February 27, March 6, 13 & 20 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

• New: Grace Community Church at 21001 Moross Road
• New: Kemeny Recreation Center at 2260 S. Fort Street

February 27 & March 6 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

• Fellowship Chapel at 7707 W. Outer Drive
• Second Ebenezer Church at 14601 Dequindre

Eligible residents can call 313-230-0505 to schedule their appointment for the TCF Center or any of the four Senior Saturdays locations.

Up to 500 doses of the vaccine will be available at each of the four locations with the added locations doubling the City’s Senior Saturday outreach to 2,000 doses each weekend.

Additional outreach

Senior Saturday clinics are one component of the City’s plan to vaccinate as many eligible Detroiters as quickly as possible, which includes the Detroit Health Department community outreach clinics to those living in congregate settings, such as senior apartments, homeless shelters, and adult foster care facilities.

In addition, the Health Department is working with trusted community partners to bring mobile vaccination clinics to Pop-Up sites, delivering the vaccine to up to 200 eligible Detroiters at locations across the city on an ad-hoc basis, targeting those zip codes with high positivity test rates for COVID-19 and a high population of seniors ages 65 and older.

$2 rides available

The City continues to schedule appointments for vaccinations at TCF Center, and is providing rides to TCF for just $2 to Detroiters who need transportation. Rides must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance of an appointment. If a wheelchair accessible vehicle is required, one will be provided. Eligible Detroiters can book an appointment by calling 313-230-0505.

The full list of eligible individuals who can schedule appointments at TCF now includes:

• NEW: Any Detroit resident age 60 or older
• NEW: Good Neighbors age 55 or older, regardless of residency, if they drive a Detroiter age 60 or older to TCF and have scheduled an appointment at the same time.
• Food service workers, including grocery store, restaurant, meat packing and food and beverage handling employees living or working in Detroit
• Security guards and janitors living or working in Detroit
• K-12 teachers and support staff and child care workers
• U.S. Post Office employees who live or work in Detroit
• Employees of the City of Detroit or City-related agencies who are working from their regular job site (Employees working from home are not eligible at this time)
• State and Federal law enforcement working in Detroit
• Members of the clergy interacting with members of their congregation
• Funeral home/mortuary employees working in Detroit
• Paid and unpaid persons in health care settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials working in Detroit
• Members of the city’s disabled community
• Home health care workers living in Detroit

Scheduling details

Vaccinations will be administered by appointment only. Workers and residents will not be vaccinated without having first made an appointment. Individuals must call 313-230-0505 to schedule.

Grocery store and security guard employees scheduling appointments will be required to provide their name, residence address and age. For greater efficiency and convenience, the city is recommending that when possible, eligible members of the same family or neighbors schedule jointly and arrive in the same vehicle. Group B essential workers will be required to provide the name of their employer and their most recent pay stub to verify their eligibility.

Second vaccination required

When they schedule their appointment, individuals will be provided TWO appointment dates, one for the first dose and another for the required second dose. Call center staff will contact each scheduled person prior to their second appointment to remind them. Individuals also will be provided specific instructions on when and where to arrive to the TCF Center, where they will be required to fill out a basic consent form.

After receiving their vaccination, individuals will be required to remain in their vehicles inside the TCF garage for a period of approximately 15 minutes to make sure they are not experiencing any side effects. Medical staff will be on hand to assist any who may experience any side effects. Appointments should last approximately one hour once the person enters the TCF garage.

This press release was produced by the City of Detroit. The views expressed here are the author’s own.