Muskegon hospital officials ‘pleading’ with community to get COVID-19 vaccine

Muskegon County walk-in vaccine clinic

Victoria Burns administers a COVID-19 vaccine for Scott Townsend at a walk-in clinic in Muskegon County. Townsend was able to get a vaccine after health officials dropped the age limit for the clinic to 50. "I was just waiting for that number to come down," he said. (Photo by Rose White | MLive)

MUSKEGON, MI – Mercy Health Muskegon officials are urging residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine to ease the strained hospital.

Dr. Justin Grill, chief medical officer for Mercy Health Muskegon, said COVID-19 admissions in October were higher than the first surge of the pandemic.

“It is important to know that nearly all of our ICU patients are unvaccinated and essentially all of the deaths at our hospital had been in the unvaccinated population,” Grill said during an Oct. 20 press briefing.

Related: Emergency wait times in hospitals are longer. Here’s why it’s happening in Muskegon

Mercy Health Muskegon reports 39 COVID-19 patients as of Oct. 18, and Grill said roughly 60-70% of those are unvaccinated.

“We’re pleading with everyone to get vaccinated and help us relieve the unnecessary strain on our healthcare system,” said Dr. Kristen Woods, president of Mercy Health Physician Partners. “Unvaccinated people continue to increase the risk of spreading the infection to our healthcare workers, both in the hospital, and in the ambulatory offices, but also in the community at large.”

Most inpatients at Mercy Health Muskegon are non-COVID-19 cases, but Woods said COVID-19 patients require longer hospital stays and more intensive resources.

Muskegon County, like every county in Michigan, is considered high risk for COVID-19 transmission.

Related: Coronavirus in Michigan: Maps, charts and the latest reports

State data shows the county is experiencing a fourth surge with 308 weekly cases per 100,000 people and a positivity rate of 14.1% during the week of Oct. 13-19. Muskegon County reports a total of 19,830 coronavirus cases and 397 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

The county’s first-dose vaccination rate has been hovering around 60% since the beginning of September—falling short of the statewide 70% goal.

The COVID-19 vaccine is available to anyone age 12 and older.

Grill said the unvaccinated population creates an “unfortunate burden” on the healthcare system currently grappling with lengthy emergency wait times, long hospital stays and staffing shortages.

“Vaccination, it works,” he said. “It keeps people out of the hospital. Equally importantly, it keeps them out of the ICU and prevents death.”

Related: Michigan COVID-19 caseload is 3 times higher than this time last year. Why? And does anybody care?

New data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that unvaccinated Americans are 11 times more likely to die from the coronavirus than fully immunized people.

Mercy Health Muskegon also urged pregnant women to get the vaccine saying it does not increase the chance of spontaneous abortion, miscarriage or fertility issues.

Dr. Karissa Tryska, a Mercy Health obstetrician and gynecologist, said pregnant women who contract COVID-19 face an increased risk of preterm labor and delivery, stillbirth, NICU and ICU admission and death.

Related: Doctors urge pregnant women to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as risk of virus itself is worse

“These risks certainly outweigh any potential risks of the vaccination for those who are pregnant or trying to conceive,” she said.

Only 31% of pregnant Americans have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a September health advisory from the CDC.

COVID-19 vaccines are available at Mercy Health, Spectrum Health, Hackley Community Care, Muskegon Family Care and local pharmacies. Information about upcoming vaccination clinics can be found at maskupmuskegon.org.

More on MLive:

COVID-19 treatments have gotten better, but there’s still no magic cure

Coronavirus data for Thursday, Oct. 21: Michigan sees glimpse of hope despite climb in hospitalizations

Muskegon Family Care hires new CEO to lead health clinic

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