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How Detroit is working to increase its COVID-19 vaccination rate

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(WXYZ) — While the Ford Field mass vaccination clinic is coming to an end after Monday, the drive-thru vaccination program continues at the TCF Center for Detroiters.

Detroit's COVID-19 vaccination numbers continue to lag behind the rest of the state. Only 31.6% of Detroiters have had at least one does of a COVID-19 vaccine.

There is still some vaccination hesitancy, some nervousness and fear. The City of Detroit has been very proactive in ensuring vaccines are accessible, and now, the big focus is on education.

Detroit Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair says the city has worked hard to keep those numbers rising. She said they're gaining about 2% per week, and could be at 40-50% by mid-July or August.

The city has 24 different locations to get a vaccine, all accepting walk-ins.

You can Text your address to (313) 217-3732 to receive the locations nearest you. Or, call 313 230-0505 to sign up to be a good neighbor, which earns you a $50 gift card for every non-vaccinated Detroiter you bring to be vaccinated.

"It's been really successful. We've had almost 1,000 good neighbors sign up and it's been really successful," Fair said.

Education is a big focus now to help those who are still on the fence. Monday through Friday from noon until 1 pm, there is a Power Hour with medical professionals to answer questions.

"People can just call in and speak to a real live nurse and ask any question they may have it doesn't matter if it's bizarre or not," she said.

With just a third of Detroiters with shots in arms, the youth could be a big help in reaching herd immunity.

Additional Coronavirus information and resources:

View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.

See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.

Visit our The Rebound Detroit, a place where we are working to help people impacted financially from the coronavirus. We have all the information on everything available to help you through this crisis and how to access it.