DETROIT — People are starting to take advantage of free COVID-19 vaccines offered through Wayne Health from Wayne State University and its mobile medical units.

Wayne Health representative Dr. Phillip Levy said this is a necessity.

“This is what is needed for us to get beyond the pandemic,” he said.  “We have to wear masks, we have to continue to social distance. But the more people that can get vaccinated, the sooner we can reach herd immunity.” 

For the last few months Wayne State University and its physician group, Wayne Health, have taken their vehicles across Detroit to perform COVID tests and other health screenings and now they are a part of a statewide pilot program to make sure everyone has access to the vaccine.

Levy, the chief innovation officer, said it’s especially important to meet Detroiters where they’re at because not everyone has a car.

“There’s a lot of transportation challenges despite it being ‘The Motor City,'” he said. “A lot of people don’t have cars, a lot of people can’t get ready access to public transportation. And they have to rely on somebody to drive them to existing vaccination sites.”

Over the next few weeks the units will visit neighborhoods across the city and distribute an estimated 2,500 vaccines.

To qualify, patients should be at least 60-years-old or at least 50-years-old with a chronic medical condition.

Wayne Health asks that people sign up in advance on its website.