In a statement on Monday, Governor Evers has called upon Washington to request increased weekly allocations of federal COVID-19 vaccines through Operation Warp Speed. As it stands right now, those vaccines would help the state move through phase 1A of vaccine distribution, inoculating front line healthcare workers who are at the highest risk to contract the coronavirus. It is estimated that 550,000 Wisconsinites qualify for vaccination in phase 1A alone.
“Our vaccine team is working across the state on vaccine distribution, and so many Wisconsinites are ready to get vaccinated and get back to our Wisconsin way of life,” said Gov. Evers via statement. “In a state where our statewide mitigation strategies have been struck down and challenged time and time again, it is absolutely critical that Wisconsin get additional doses of vaccine to meet demand and box in the virus.”
Currently, Wisconsin has established 1,098 locations to provide vaccinations statewide. This week alone, an additional 10,000 doses of vaccine would fully satisfy requests at all locations. While many healthcare providers have been able to take care of at least a portion of their staff, phase 1A also includes unaffiliated providers including emergency medical responders and public health workers. While a pharmacy distribution program has been set up and on-site vaccinations have begun at long-term care facilities as of Dec. 28, there is still considerable time before the state can move onto phase 1B. The State Disaster Medical Advisory Committee will release proposed vaccination candidate criteria for phase 1B on Wednesday.
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As of Monday, Wisconsin has administered over 151,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines throughout the state. Infrastructure for distribution, including creating a vaccination location at the Wisconsin Center has been ramped up as well. It is expected that nursing home residents and staff will be fully vaccinated by the end of the month. The state is also working to fill any gaps in vaccine accessibility.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has established a page for frequently asked questions and briefings regarding COVID-19 vaccines, which you can view here.
