Northwest Activities Center To Become Site For Johnson & Johnson Vaccine

(CBS DETROIT) – Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is rolling out an ambitious plan to nip the coronavirus in the bud.

"If we want people back to work, we want people not to be afraid of being evicted, we want to get the criminal justice system going, we want to get the restaurants open, we have to get vaccinated faster," said Duggan.

The city that once led the country in flattening the curve is now behind on vaccine distribution and Duggan is ramping up a new site to get on track.

"We are going to have to open a second major vaccine site and it will be open later this month at the Northwest Activities Center on Meyers and we're going to offer the Johnson & Johnson one shot vaccine with the space inside," the mayor said.

Duggan's Johnson & Johnson approval comes after criticism for rejecting it in a remark that showed favor to Moderna and Pfizer's two-shot method.

"I know I said some things about Johnson & Johnson. It was my fault for not having more research than I should have but after having done that research it's obvious that the record Johnson & Johnson has, at the height of the pandemic and operating in South Africa, and South America and Britain, it is a highly effective shot," said Duggan.

The mayor's vaccine expansion also includes making every Detroiter over the age of 50 eligible for the vaccine by March 22.

People who travel to work or live with chronic illnesses will be eligible for the vaccine in April.

"What I want to do is give every Detroiter two choices. You can go to the main one-shot center down at the Northwest Activity Center or you can come down to TCF for the two shot vaccines," he said.

Mayor Duggan expects to open vaccines to all residents by May.

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