Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: 'Be patient' when it comes to COVID-19 vaccine rollout

The state is doing everything it can to quickly vaccinate every Michigander who wants a dose, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Friday, arguing state and federal data that shows a wide chasm between doses distributed and those actually administered doesn't tell the whole story. 

“So I want to be crystal clear: The state of Michigan has pushed out every single vaccine that we have received. We've pushed it out to eligible providers, our local public health departments and our health systems. There are some recipients who have not gotten shots in arms, and we're giving technical assistance. We're including offering the National Guard to assist so that we can get it done," Whitmer said. 

"I know that you're seeing people get vaccinated and it's exciting and we all want to be on that list when it's our time. I just ask for your continued patience. We will get everyone who wants a vaccine vaccinated, but we’re going to need to be a little bit patient." 

The comments come as the governor wages both political and administrative battles related to the pandemic on multiple fronts.

In a video posted to YouTube on Friday, Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel opened one of five ultra-cold freezers the county health department has to store the Pfizer vaccine. It was empty.

He said he has asked for 50,000 doses of the vaccine next week. In his video, he said the county may get bumped up from 1,000 doses to about 3,000 doses, which is still "woefully inadequate." Hackel, a Democrat, said the county can vaccinate 50,000 people a week if it has the supply.

"The governor overpromised somethin' that health departments around the state cannot deliver," he said in the video. "It set us in a terrible situation where people expect something that can't be delivered."

Earlier in the day, state Rep. Thomas Albert, R-Lowell and the incoming House Appropriations Chair, seemingly threatened to slow walk distributing federal COVID-19 funds — intended for everything from rolling out the vaccine to staving off evictions — until the governor allowed restaurants and bars to offer in-person dining. 

Whitmer blasted the suggestion, saying any threat to withhold funding would be devastating. 

"It's my hope that they're not suggesting now we should start negotiating away public health measures that keep people safe, and hold these things hostage. Because there are a lot of people in our state struggling, and this federal relief is necessary. I'm hopeful they'll get to work and get this allocated as quickly as possible." 

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A health department order banning in-person dining remains in effect through Jan. 15. Whitmer said the state continues to review health data but did not say whether that order would be allowed to expire or be extended. 

For months, Whitmer and health officials have argued the vaccine is the silver bullet for the health of the public, the economy, education and many other pandemic problems. While the governor acknowledged people are frustrated with the vaccine rollout, she continued to argue delays and communication challenges with the federal government are exacerbating vaccine distribution problems.

She also argued that every single vaccine the state has received has been distributed to a local provider, stating these officials are doing everything they can to get their local vaccination programs ready. She and Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state's chief medical executive, noted that in the last 24 hours, more than 24,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered. 

But these comments come days after Whitmer announced millions of Michiganders will be newly eligible for vaccines starting Monday. The comments caught many local health departments off guard; those local health departments and hospitals are now scrambling to get the infrastructure in place to actually start administering doses. 

Many of those expected to administer the vaccine say they were surprised by the governor's announcement, arguing they do not have enough vaccines or the scheduling systems ready to start more widely vaccinating residents. 

More:Eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine? Michigan health departments say expect delays

More:Beaumont website crashes as people flood system for COVID-19 vaccine

As of Friday, the state website established to help disseminate information about vaccinations only included details for fewer than 10 of the state's 83 counties. At the same time, additional state data indicated the state had administered only about 175,000 doses of the 725,000 doses it had distributed. 

That means more than 75% of available doses distributed to local health officials are sitting in freezers or shelves and are not being administered 

For months, Whitmer and health officials cautioned it would take considerable time to get everyone vaccinated. They've stressed this is the largest rollout of its kind in U.S. history, pointing to difficulties working with federal officials and a litany of challenges that have prevented a more rapid vaccination process. 

But they acknowledge more work needs to be done to inject more people. 

Beaumont Health announced its patient portal collapsed Friday as it was flooded with people trying to schedule vaccination appointments. Local health officials in the state's largest counties say they've been inundated with calls, but have little information — or doses of vaccines — to provide. 

"We raised our concerns with the governor's office then that, you know, that doesn't work well for a county that has been under-supplied vaccine, at least from a health department standpoint," William Nowling, a spokesman for Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, said Thursday.

"As soon as the governor had her press conference, our phone blew up at the health department with people calling in, wanting to sign up to get their vaccine."  

Local health departments say they have gotten only a fraction of the vaccines they need, and say adding thousands more eligible people to an already overwhelmed situation will only drive up frustration. 

"I think it is absolutely crucial that people give us some patience and understand straight away that the vaccine supply is very limited," said Steve Kelso, a spokesman for the Kent County Health Department. "And it's going to continue to be for the foreseeable future.

"We can't give you the shots we ain't got."

Contact Dave Boucher: dboucher@freepress.com or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.