Kalamazoo City Commissioner Erin Knott part of statewide COVID-19 vaccine education effort – MLive.com

KALAMAZOO, MI When you become eligible for the coronavirus vaccination, will you take the shot?

Many are answering with an anxious and resounding, yes. Others may be more hesitant.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer established a commission last month with the goal of reaching those people who have not decided yet to take the vaccine, in hopes of educating and answering their questions. A main goal of the group is reaching herd immunity against COVID-19 in Michigan, through ongoing vaccination efforts.

Related: 11% of Michigan adults have gotten at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose; see numbers in your county

Kalamazoo City Commissioner Erin Knott is among those appointed to the governors Project Michigan Commission, which held its first meeting on Jan. 29.

The commission, created in December, is part of the states health and human services and will focus on vaccine awareness, education on COVID-19 and the overall health and safety of Michigan.

Currently, counties are reporting more demand for the vaccine than supply as they move through the phases of vaccinations. People 65 and older are currently in line and being vaccinated, along with others in the states phase 1B.

But the demand could wane before 70% of the general public, age 16 and older, are vaccinated in Michigan -- as not everyone has decided to get the vaccine. Bridging that gap is crucial for the group to achieve its goal of reaching herd immunity.

The lift of the work begins now so that we are changing hearts and minds of those folks that are unsure about taking the step to get the vaccine when theres one available to them, Knott said.

The group draws on the experience of leaders from historically marginalized populations, the city commissioner said.

Knott, who is openly gay, said she will help reach members of the LGBTQ community, and any others members of marginalized groups to provide information about the vaccine and vaccination efforts. Knott works as executive director at the Equality Michigan Education Fund, which provides education, victim services, and outreach to empowers LGBTQ+ people throughout the state to live in safe communities, take care of their families and create positive impact.

The new state commission is forming several workgroups, Knott said, and she may also be a part of multiple groups within the commission.

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The purpose of the workgroups is to break down and address barriers that may impede acceptance of the approved COVID-19 vaccines, as well as identifying resources to connect folks within a particular constituency, Knott said. The governors commission will work to disseminate critical information to community members, she said.

The commission will work to address issues such as distrust in government and other reasons people may have for hesitating to take the vaccine, and will work to answer questions about things such as the development of the vaccine.

The group will work to ensure equitable access to the vaccines, and that planning and distribution are inclusive. Members will work to engage with state and local governments, as well as public and private partners, Knott said.

Knott said she has been spending a lot of time at home because of the virus, first confirmed in Michigan almost a year ago. She said she feels the same as many others who want to be able to safely see family members again, and to be able to safely do more things outside the house and with other people.

Im absolutely going to get a vaccine when its my turn, Knott said on Friday, Feb. 5. I think, for myself, personally, like so many others, Im craving to get back to some level of normalcy. And for me, that means being able to go downtown Kalamazoo and enjoy a meal at my favorite restaurants, it means seeing my elderly grandparents, and my nieces and nephews.

There are just so many things that we take for granted that we get to do, and now if we make the choice to engage in those activities, we have to calculate the risk. And for me and my family, right now, weve calculated the risk as too high.

Related: Vaccinations continue as Kalamazoo County fights new COVID-19 variant

That means many meetings and social interactions are held virtually, Knott said. Separations of family and friends have come along with the coronavirus restrictions as people tried to stop the virus from spreading.

Vaccination efforts promise to ultimately spell an end to those restrictions, once enough people are dosed.

Vaccination efforts began in late 2020 and are now well underway. Michigan had administered 1,186,630 vaccine doses as of Thursday, Feb. 4.

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Kalamazoo City Commissioner Erin Knott part of statewide COVID-19 vaccine education effort - MLive.com