Letter to President Joe Biden - Walberg Leads Bipartisan Letter Urging Biden to Increase Michigan's Vaccine Supply

Letter

Dear President Biden:

We are writing regarding the urgent situation in Michigan and the recent surge in COVID-19 cases. We are respectfully requesting that the State of Michigan's vaccine allocation be increased so the state can effectively combat this new COVID-19 outbreak.

As you are well aware, Michigan has seen a rapid increase in new COVID-19 cases. Currently, Michigan is leading the nation in COVID cases by population. As of April 8, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recently reported 7,819 new cases. This surge in cases has made Michigan one of the hardest-hit states in recent days.

Presently, your administration's vaccine allocation methodology awards vaccines doses based on population. While we recognize the need to ensure Americans have access to the vaccine across the country, the reality is that states with vastly larger populations are experiencing half the infection rates as Michigan. Public health experts have recommended that surging vaccines doses to places where COVID-19 infection numbers are climbing, like Michigan, is a critical tool to effectively manage COVID-19 outbreaks. It has been estimated that doubling Michigan's vaccine allocation for two weeks could help prevent 10,000 hospitalizations and 1,200 deaths. Increasing the vaccine supply would be a critical tool in helping the state save lives and manage the new outbreak.

Mr. President, more needs to be done to address the situation in Michigan. We respectfully request that you revise the allocation formula and increase the vaccine supply directed to hard-hit states like Michigan. The more vaccine doses distributed to Michigan, the sooner we will be able to mitigate the latest rise in cases, defeat the pandemic, and return to a sense of normalcy. Thank you for your attention to this pressing matter.