MADISON, Wisconsin – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced a list of 20 underlying diseases on Thursday that will determine the next group of people eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting March 29.
Among the list of qualifying conditions are overweight (defined as a body mass index, or BMI, 25-29) or obesity (a BMI of 30 or higher). Your BMI is calculated using your height and weight, but many people may not know what their BMI is – and whether they may soon qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine because of that.
Fortunately, CDC has a free BMI calculator that will do the math for you.
Based on the new DHS guidelines, anyone with a BMI of 25 or more will soon be eligible to receive the vaccine. This could cover most adults in Wisconsin – 2018 DHS data show that about 64% of the state’s adult population was considered overweight or obese by BMI. Health officials estimate that more than 2 million people will be eligible for the vaccine in the next phase, starting on March 29.
Those who do not have any of the 20 conditions described by state officials will be eligible when the vaccines are opened to the general public, which is expected to be in May. President Joe Biden said he hopes there will be enough doses of the vaccine for every adult in the country by the end of that month.
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