Sixteen-year-old St. Francis student gets 15,000th vaccine dose administered by Benzie-Leelanau Health Department

From staff reports

Josephine Gorman, a 16-year-old student from St. Francis High School in Traverse City received the 15,000th dose of a COVID-19 vaccine administered by the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department. Gorman got the Pfizer shot Friday, April 23, at Glen Lake School, accompanied by her mother Jennifer.

Last week, the Health Department’s school-based COVID-19 vaccine clinics administered more than 700 shots in Suttons Bay, Frankfort, Glen Lake, and Benzonia. Almost 150 of those vaccinated were students from 11 different school districts.

The effort to vaccinate teenagers and young adults represents a crucial new front in the campaign to beat the global pandemic and to “flatten the curve” in Michigan, which has experienced a worst-in-the-nation COVID surge this spring.

In Leelanau County, 12,429 or 66.3 percent of adult residents have received at least one dose, and 9,844 or 52.5 percent have completed their vaccinations, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ COVID Vaccine Dashboard. That’s the highest percentage of any county in Michigan.

“This is a big accomplishment that [more than] 60% of Benzie and Leelanau County residents have initiated their COVID-19 vaccine series,” said health officer Lisa Peacock. “Every day there are more clinics and vaccinations being administered that will help us reach the goal of 70% of our eligible residents 16 and older being vaccinated. We recognize the health department is just a part of the efforts happening in our counties.

“Our communities would not be able to reach these milestones without volunteers, community partnerships, the Michigan National Guard, and—most importantly—our residents who signed up, got their COVID-19 vaccine, and those who assisted their friends and family members,” she added.

State Representative Jack O’Malley (who represents the 101st district) and his wife Robin also received a vaccination on Friday at Glen Lake School.

“I choose to get vaccinated because it’s the sensible thing to do,” said O’Malley, who lives in nearby Lake Ann. “I suggest that people that are willing and able to get it and I think most people are. Hopefully, we can make this more available to everyone and it becomes a little more commonplace. Herd immunity is a big deal.”