Gilchrist receives COVID-19 booster shot in Detroit Friday

Detroit — Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist received his COVID-19 booster shot Friday and encouraged all vaccinated Michigan residents to get theirs.

He also urged unvaccinated residents to get a COVID-19 shot.

"These vaccines are critically important to protecting people from the worst outcomes from COVID-19," Gilchrist said. "We're encouraging everyone to make that choice. It's very important for us to get through this pandemic, to reestablish ourselves and move forward."

He made the remarks before getting his vaccine at about 7:30 a.m. Friday at the CVS/Pharmacy store on McNichols at Wyoming Avenue on the city's west side. His comments echo a call made by the governor this week and come as federal regulators weigh lifting limitations on booster eligibility for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and COVID-19 hospitalizations in Michigan reached a seven-month high. 

Gilchrist wore a black T-shirt that read "Everybody -vs- COVID-19" and was joined by Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, former Michigan chief medical executive and now vice president and chief health equity officer for the drugstore chain.

"I'm so proud of Lt. Gov. Gilchrist for coming into CVS today to get his COVID booster," Khaldun said before the lieutenant governor received his injection. "There's evidence immunity from the vaccine goes down after six months, so the more people who can get that third shot, the better we'll be."

Khaldun said the rising number of cases in Michigan and the U.S. is troubling.

"I'm certainly concerned about what we're seeing with COVID cases across the country and particularly here in Michigan," she said. "The number of people in the hospital with COVID is going up. That's why it's so important people get vaccinated."

Gilchrist said he chose to get the booster at the store because he spent much of his youth in the surrounding neighborhood and his grandmother lived in the area.

The lieutenant governor also encouraged parents to get their children vaccinated. He said his twin 8-year-old children received the first dose of their vaccines a couple of weeks ago.

"When you have an opportunity to get protected, you have the opportunity to use these tools, you should do it," he said. "It's a miracle and a blessing and we should take advantage of it."

cramirez@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @CharlesERamirez