EAST LANSING — Various Ingham Community Health Centers are now offering the COVID-19 vaccine to new patients.

People who are eligible for the vaccine may now connect with the Ingham Community Health Centers in efforts to be vaccinated. Currently, eligible people include those aged 65 and up and people aged 50-54 who have preexisting health conditions. With the current vaccine plan, all people aged 50 and up will be eligible to receive the vaccine starting March 22. 

“The Ingham Community Health Centers’ top priority is meeting the evolving health care needs of the most vulnerable populations in Ingham County,” Ingham County Deputy Health Officer and Executive Director Kris Drake said. “We are honored to do our part in making the vaccine available to the community we serve.”

To be vaccinated through the health centers, patients should call one of three locations: Forest Community Health Center at (517) 887-4302, Birch Community Health Center at (517) 244-8030, or New Hope Community Health Center at (517) 887-4400.

Forest Community Health Center will vaccinate patients on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m.- 4:20 p.m. Birch Community Health Center will vaccinate patients on Mondays from 8-11:30 a.m., and the New Hope Community Health Center will vaccinate patients on Fridays from 1-4:30 p.m. All vaccinations are by appointment only.

“We are delighted that our health centers can now offer the vaccine to the community at large,” Ingham County Health Officer Linda S. Vail said. “By making the vaccine more widely available, we will move toward community immunity, and ultimately, the end of this pandemic.”

Appointments may be drive-through or walk-in, depending on patient preference and location. Currently, the health centers are offering the two-dose Moderna vaccine. 

To make an appointment, patients will need to have photo identification and their insurance card (if they are insured) available. There is no out-of-pocket cost to be vaccinated.