Three months after the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were injected into the arms of frontline health workers, the group with the highest priority – those with underlying health problems – will soon have its turn.
State health officials announced on Thursday that Wisconsin residents between the ages of 16 and 64 will be eligible to be vaccinated from March 29 if they have health problems that put them at greater risk of becoming seriously ill or dying of COVID-19. This group has more than 2 million people, officials said, making up more than 60 percent of the state’s population.
By expanding eligibility, state leaders and health officials hope to take advantage of the moment that resulted in more than 11% of the population being fully immunized.
“This is incredible progress that has been made possible thanks to our network of vaccinators and the increased supply of vaccines that we know is on its way to the federal government,” said Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health Services, Julie Willems Van Dijk, during a virtual press conference.
State officials faced criticism for not electing people with pre-existing diseases earlier, as other states did. Wyoming, for example, allowed people with chronic illnesses to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as of February 1.
On March 8, Iowa opened vaccines for children under 64 with certain medical conditions. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, just over half of the United States currently prioritizes people with health problems.
On Thursday, more than 1.8 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine were administered in Wisconsin – with 64.8 percent of Wisconsin residents age 65 and older being fully vaccinated.
Those already qualified for the vaccine in Wisconsin under Phases 1a and 1b are people over 65, teachers, childcare workers and essential workers such as public transport drivers, agricultural workers and grocery store clerks. Frontline health personnel, residents of qualified wards and long-term care facilities, police and fire and correctional personnel are also eligible.
Those with chronic medical conditions are in Phase 1c. DHS has determined 20 health conditions that qualify a person to be eligible for the vaccine. This includes obese and overweight individuals. According to state data, 67 percent of Wisconsin residents are in this category.
Willems Van Dijk said on Thursday that proof of chronic illness will not be required.
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“We are not asking people to check, we are not asking people to bring their medical records and prove that they have asthma or diabetes,” said Willems Van Djik. “This is not about policing, it is about creating an entry into the vaccine system for people who have these conditions.”
The state’s decision was supported by recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
People with chronic diseases see the reason for optimism
The new guidelines allow eligibility for more than 2 million Wisconsin residents, Willems Van Dijk said on Thursday.
The state’s announcement came less than two weeks after Wisconsin residents under the age of 65 with chronic health conditions expressed frustration at not being prioritized, despite the serious risk of complications if they fell ill. On Thursday, some members of this group received the news as a relief, although doubts remain about the logistics of the next phase.
Sherie Kristie, of Hudson, is 61, with pulmonary fibrosis that reduced her lung capacity by 30 percent. She said she expects providers to follow state councils and give priority to those most at risk. Otherwise, she fears confusion among the large group of people who will be eligible on March 29.
“I feel like I’m going to Walmart on Black Friday to fight my colleague to get one of those few big-screen TVs,” said Kristie. “And I never went shopping on Black Friday because the whole thing was so ugly. In that case, it’s life or death, and I’m going to do my best to compete.”
Willems Van Dijk said the state’s vaccine supply is expected to increase considerably by the end of the month, and new mass vaccination sites in several cities across the state will also help to meet increased demand.
Bruce Nerge, from Janesville, is 64, type 2 diabetes, emphysema and other conditions that, he says, qualify him several times for the next group. He said the news made him hopeful that he will see his grandchildren relatively soon.
“I talk to them on the phone,” he said. “They always say, ‘Grandpa, when are you coming?’ And I say, ‘Well, when I get the vaccine, I will go there.’ I look forward to seeing you. ”
Based on recent and anticipated increases in vaccine availability, DHS predicts that the general public will be eligible for the vaccine in May.
Constant case numbers across the state
The news of the increase in eligibility for the vaccine arrives while the cases of COVID-19 in the state remain stable. DHS reported 502 new cases of the disease on Thursday, bringing the average over the past seven days to 363 daily cases. A week ago, the average was 522 daily cases.
There were 3,693 negative tests reported Thursday, not new deaths from COVID-19.
Other data from Thursday’s DHS include:
- 568,352 total cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.
- 6,524 people in Wisconsin have died of COVID-19 so far.
- 3,227,003 tests administered, 2,658,651 of which were negative since the beginning of the pandemic.
- 26,670 people were hospitalized because of the disease, or 4.7 percent of all positive cases since the start of the pandemic.
- Daily testing capacity remains at 59,273, although only 4,195 new test results were released on Thursday.
Editor’s note: Rob Mentzer and Rich Kremer contributed to the report.