The standing recommendation was made in response to Governor Whitmer’s executive directive aimed at ensuring Michigan residents have access to COVID-19 vaccines.
MICHIGAN, USA — In response to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive directive on Tuesday aimed at ensuring Michigan residents have access to COVID-19 vaccines, the state’s Chief Medical Executive, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, has issued a standing recommendation for the COVID-19 vaccine.
“National medical organizations and scientific experts continue to recommend routine COVID-19 vaccination for those at high risk, but also recommend vaccines be made available for all those who want them, ages six months and older.
COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to reduce the likelihood of emergency department or urgent care visits, as well as hospitalizations and severe outcomes. They are one of our best defenses against the virus. As the state’s chief medical executive, it is my duty to protect and promote public health, and everyone deserves the opportunity to access the COVID-19 vaccine if they desire one. This Standing Recommendation will help to protect vaccine accessibility and availability in our state,” Bagdasarian said.
According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), on Wednesday, Aug. 27, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the 2025-2026 vaccine for those 65 years of age and older.
The vaccine was also approved by the FDA for those ages five through 64 years old with at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19. MDHHS said the FDA didn’t define the list of these underlying conditions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s list includes conditions such as obesity and physical inactivity, and said it’s “not exhaustive” and “should not be used to exclude people with underlying conditions from recommended measures for prevention or treatment of COVID-19.”
In Bagdasarian’s recommendation, she said, “Any person over the age of six months without contraindication who has not received a dose of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved or -authorized 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine may be considered to have an underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19 and is thus eligible to receive an age-appropriate dose.”
MDHHS is working with the Department of Insurance and Financial Services and the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to ensure—as outlined in Whitmer’s executive directive—that those who decide to get the COVID-19 vaccine have insurance coverage for it and that there’s availability of it.
More information about COVID-19 and seasonal respiratory illnesses and how to protect yourself can be found online at Michigan.gov/COVIDFluRSV.
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