WAYNE COUNTY - The Wayne County Health Department is expanding eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine to all residents of and anyone who works in Ecorse, Inkster, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Melvindale, and River Rouge aged 16 and older at clinics in Taylor and Livonia beginning April 8.

Appointments are available by calling 1-866-610-3885. The toll-free number is managed in partnership with The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW). The Wayne County/THAW call center will be open weekdays starting Wednesday, April 7, from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.

Because of limited vaccine supply from the state of Michigan, the Wayne County Health Department is first scheduling appointments for residents and workers from the most vulnerable communities with the highest Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), as calculated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Appointment times for other communities will be announced by the County as it works through the prioritized community list. Up-to-date scheduling information can be found online at http://www.waynecounty.com/covid19.

"Vaccination is the one thing that can end this deadly pandemic and safely return life to normal," said Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans. "Now that we are able to expand vaccine eligibility, the right time for residents to get their shot is right now."

Wayne County Health Department vaccination clinics are located at:

Wayne County Community College

Downriver Campus

21000 Northline Rd.

Taylor, MI 48180

Schoolcraft College

VisTaTech Center

18600 Haggerty Rd.

Livonia, MI 48152

Depending on vaccine supply, appointments will be scheduled for both clinics, Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Transportation to clinics is available and, upon request, will be arranged through SMART when residents call to make an appointment.

"Expanded eligibility is a critical next step in combating COVID-19, so Wayne County is committed to ensuring wide vaccine accessibility," said Wayne County Chief Operating Officer Genelle Allen. "Vaccine equity is essential to fully protecting our communities. That's why Wayne County is making it easier for residents and workers to schedule appointments by phone and to obtain transportation assistance."

Due to anticipated high call volume, residents and workers are encouraged to be patient when attempting to schedule an appointment and are urged to call back at different times of the day if they receive a busy signal.

Order of Wayne County Community Vaccine Scheduling

Order is determined based on Social Vulnerability Index. Number 1 is highest-ranked SVI and Number 42 is lowest-ranked SVI. Vaccine scheduling will proceed from 1 to 42 (highest to lowest). The City of Detroit maintains its own public health jurisdiction and is not included in this ranking. The SVI level for each community, as calculated by the CDC, is listed in parentheses below. SVI ranges from 0 (lowest) to 1 (highest). For more information on how the SVI is calculated, visit https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/index.html.

1. Ecorse (.9220)

2. Inkster (.9038)

3. Hamtramck (.8907)

4. Highland Park (.8858)

5. Melvindale (.8450)

6. River Rouge (.8300)

7. Romulus (.7659)

8. Wayne (.7234)

9. Lincoln Park (.7137)

10. Dearborn Heights (.6595)

11. Harper Woods (.6571)

12. Westland (.6474)

13. Belleville (.6234)

14. Redford Township (.5948)

15. Taylor (.5713)

16. Dearborn (.5529)

17. Flat Rock (.5123)

18. Southgate (.4805)

19. Riverview (.4617)

20. Van Buren Township (.4383)

21. Sumpter Township (.4254)

22. Brownstown Township (.4238)

23. Woodhaven (.3921)

24. Garden City (.3911)

25. Gibraltar (.3843)

26. Wyandotte (.3525)

27. Huron Township (.3159)

28. Canton Township (.3067)

29. Allen Park (.2953)

30. Livonia (.2291)

31. Plymouth (.2183)

32. Plymouth Township (.2127)

33. Trenton (.2109)

34. Rockwood (.2059)

35. Northville Township (.2046)

36. Northville (.1258)

37. Grosse Pointe Woods (.1231)

38. Grosse Pointe (.0872)

39. Grosse Ile Township (.0850)

40. Grosse Pointe Park (.0734)

41. Grosse Pointe Farms (.0575)

42. Grosse Pointe Shores (.0402)

For more information visit http://www.waynecounty.com