Since COVID-19 vaccinations began in December 2020, the state has unveiled another large data portal to access data related to vaccination distribution and coverage. Last year, we reviewed the state’s COVID-19 case and death data portal, and now we’re providing a similar breakdown of the data available from the vaccine data dashboard.
For more information about eligibility, vaccination locations, and other resources you can visit the COVID-19 Vaccine landing page.
Michigan’s vaccine data dashboard provides 10 tabs with data and information related to vaccines in the entire state. There are also public use datasets and a data table about the Federal Long-Term Care Facility Pharmacy Partnership Program on the dashboard.
To start exploring this data, visit michigan.gov/covidvaccine and then click “ACCESS THE STATE’S VACCINE DATA” to view the dashboard.
Tab 1: Vaccines Shipped
This tab gives an overall summary of the vaccines distributed as of the previous day including a breakdown by vaccine manufacturer: Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson. Based on data as of March 25, Pfizer and Moderna comprise the vast majority of vaccines distributed in the state.
The map demonstrates where vaccines are being shipped by county, including first and second doses. The data does not show if the doses have been received, but are reported by distributors as having been shipped. The data can be filtered by preparedness region, local health department jurisdiction, or provider county.
Distribution data can be used to understand what communities are getting which vaccines and how many. The state’s dashboard does not normalize the data by population, so communities with more people are going to have higher distribution rates. We’ve previously explored the importance of population size for understanding the context of coronavirus-related data, but if you need a refresher head to our blog post.
Tab 2: Distribution Trend
Similarly to the first tab, this one can be filtered by multiple geographies. It drills into the data presented in the first tab so users can explore distribution trends over time. For example, on the default view of the entire state, it becomes apparent that large batches are distributed by manufacturers only a few times a month, which can help us understand how facilities plan appointments.
By scrolling to the right on the timeline, the most current data is displayed. The trends show how each manufacturer’s allotments in the state have increased over time. The most recent distributions from the week ending March 20, 2021, show that the state’s recent distributions (492,450 over the time period) account for 11.3% of the total distribution since vaccinations started. Since vaccine eligibility is expanding rapidly, understanding availability can help residents better reflect on the state’s policies.
Tab 3: Doses Administered
While the first two tabs focus on distribution to providers like pharmacies and public health departments, this data focuses on how many shots have actually been administered to people. Like the first tab, this data does not reflect population demographics. However, it’s still helpful for understanding how efficient counties are at administering the doses distributed to them. For example, as of March 24, there have been 3.8 million doses administered in the state which means that the state has administered 84.1% of all doses distributed. This is an important metric that the CDC is tracking nationally to understand efficiency of state-led distribution campaigns.
Tab 4: Doses by Vaccine
This tab shows the types of vaccines that have been administered. Unlike the other tabs, it cannot be filtered to smaller geographies. However, it provides information on age group and also the provider type. It also shows how many first and second doses were administered each week by manufacturer.
This data can be helpful for understanding how vaccine distributions are being utilized in the state. Recently, the majority of vaccines have been going to first doses, which makes sense since supply has rapidly increased, as we saw on Tab 2. As these individuals start to receive their second doses in a few weeks, the data will probably start to be more consistent over time. This data can also be monitored weekly to see if first doses are being followed up with second doses in the timelines recommended by manufacturers (21 days for Pfizer and 28 for Moderna).
It’s important to note that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is only a single dose and so it will only show up in the first dose metrics. So filtering the data by specific manufacturer is important if comparing first and second doses over time.
Tab 5: Doses Metrics
This tab provides demographic information for people who have obtained covid vaccines. The data can be filtered by dose number (first or second) and vaccine type (Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson). Since COVID-19 has disparate impacts on individuals from different demographics (like race/ethnicity and age), it’s important to ensure that the vaccine roll out is equitable and prioritizes those at greater risk for hospitalization and death.
This tab includes data about gender, ethnicity, and age. It can be filtered by type of vaccine as well as first and second doses.
Tab 6: Coverage
The coverage tab shows the percentage of residents 16 and older who have received a vaccination. It can be filtered by dose, which shows the percentage of residents with an initial dose and the percentage of residents who have completed their vaccination series.
The data in this tab can also be compared to the distribution data to provide a little more context about how population sizes are impacting vaccine coverage. For example, in terms of distribution, Oakland County and the City of Detroit both have very high rates of distribution, not taking into account population size (see Tab #1). Looking at the coverage map, we see that these two geographies have actually vaccinated lower rates of residents than other counties in the state. This demonstrates again the importance of population density to understanding the vaccination trends.
Comparing the coverage rates is also helpful to understanding where additional outreach might be needed to help local health departments facilitate access to distributed doses or develop public health campaigns to help convince residents of the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.
Tab 7: Coverage Metrics
Similar to the Doses Metrics tab, this tab shows vaccine coverage by initiation and completion. However, instead of raw numbers for age and sex demographics, this tab shows the percentage of each age group that has started or completed their vaccination. For example, in the Doses Metrics, we can see that 312,610 Michigan residents over 75 have received their second dose compared to 400,892 Michigan residents aged 65-74 years old. Without the population sizes to take into account, it looks like slightly younger Michigan seniors have had more uptake with the vaccine than the oldest residents. However, the coverage metrics takes into account population size and we can see that 75+ year olds have actually completed their vaccinations at a higher rate (43.9% of 75+ year olds have completed their vaccinations compared to 39.4% of 65-74 year olds).
This tab also shows cumulative vaccination rates over time for the whole state. Watching vaccination trends over time is one way to measure progress towards the state’s herd immunity. Plateaus in the cumulative coverage could indicate lags in distribution, access, or a need for additional public health campaigns to continue encouraging uptake.
Tab 8: State Level Metrics
These metrics contain similar demographics to the Doses Metrics and Coverage Metrics Tabs, with additional capacity to filter based on age, race/ethnicity, and sex. This tab shows the total number of initiated and completed doses by race/ethnicity as well as the percent of residents who have completed doses. This percentage data is much more helpful at identifying disparities between racial and ethnic groups than the raw numbers. The filters on this tab also can help identify crossover between race and ethnicity with other variables like age and sex.
Tab 9: Enrolled Providers
This data shows how many providers each county has, including pharmacies, clinics, urgent cares, etc. Combined with coverage data, this information can help identify if communities with low vaccination rates have limited vaccine providers. This data could be more helpful if the ranges in the number of providers were slightly larger because there is a significant difference between 29 and 368 vaccination sites. However, you can hover over any county and see the exact number of providers in that area.
By filtering by provider type, a more clear picture of a county’s possible services is apparent. For example, Rural Health Clinics provide the vaccine in 17 Michigan counties. Looking at pharmacy providers, there are nine counties that don’t have any vaccines available through pharmacies. Doing a deep dive into the types of providers and where they are located can help provide a better understanding of vaccine accessibility in certain communities.
Tab 10: Learn More
This tab provides important information about how the vaccine data is collected as well as definitions about the data.
Overall, the state’s vaccination data portal provides a wide variety of information related to vaccination rates across the state, vaccine providers, and demographics of who is receiving vaccinations. These data points can help inform tailored outreach programs to promote the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine and to ensure vaccine access is equitable among all Michigan residents.
If you ever have any questions about data related to COVID-19 or its impact on the Metro Detroit region, please AskD3 or visit our COVID-19 Portal.