Math Professor Breaks Down How Long it Will Take Michigan to Become ‘Fully Vaccinated’ [VIDEO]

We've been given a goal. Governor Gretchen Whitmer laid out the details of Michigan's 'Vacc to Normal' plan, saying that most pandemic restrictions would be lifted in our state once 70% of us are fully vaccinated.

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Just how long will that take?

Dr. Patrick Nelson, a math professor at Lawrence Technological University broke down the numbers.

Nelson says Michigan is probably about 18 days away from reaching phase 1 of the Vacc to Normal plan where 55% of residents are fully vaccinated. This assumes that the vaccination rate of approximately 33,000 shots per day continues. This is when Whitmer says she would lift remote work requirements in our state.

Reaching 70% vaccinated is a lofty goal.

Nelson says calculating how long it will take for Michigan to reach the 70% threshold is simple. If vaccination rates remain the same, we'll see a 5% increase every 15 days. But he cautions that since vaccination rates are slowing down, and says that making an accurate projection isn't that simple.

“If you look at the numbers though, the rate of people getting vaccinated is decreasing,” Nelson said. “Because of that, I think it’s going to be tough to get to the higher numbers if you simply look at it mathematically.”

What if Michiganders do continue to vaccinated at the same rate?

Nelson tells WDIV that reaching the 70% goal in Michigan depends on how you look at the numbers. He says if the governor considers those who've had one dose of the vaccine 'fully vaccinated,' it will take about 63 days to reach that threshold. But if the requirement to be fully vaccinated is having both shots, we're looking at 118 days.

That means if Michigan continues on its current trajectory, we can expect to reach that 70% goal on August 25th.