MADISON (WKOW) – State health officials announced on Thursday that more than two million people with pre-existing health problems will become eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Wisconsin on March 29.
The new groups were announced in a press release from the Department of Health Services (DHS) on Thursday.
“Wisconsin continues to be a national leader in vaccinations and we are excited to open eligibility for more Wisconsin residents,” said Governor Tony Evers in a written statement. “I know that the past year has been difficult for everyone and I want to thank people for working and doing their part to protect themselves and their loved ones from COVID-19.”
The new groups that qualify for the vaccine are all those aged 16 and over with the following medical conditions:
- Asthma (moderate to severe)
- Cancer
- Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Down’s syndrome
- Heart problems such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies
- Hypertension or high blood pressure
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) due to solid organ transplant, blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids or use of other drugs to weaken the immune system
- Liver disease
- Neurological conditions, such as dementia
- Obesity (body mass index [BMI] 30-39 kg / m2)
- Excess weight (BMI 25-29 kg / m2)
- Pregnancy
- Pulmonary fibrosis (with damaged lung tissue or scarring)
- Severe obesity (BMI 40 kg / m2 or more)
- Sickle cell anemia
- Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus
- Thalassemia (a type of blood disorder)
“All three available COVID-19 vaccines are incredibly safe and effective in preventing infections, serious illnesses and death,” said DHS interim secretary Karen Timberlake. “These vaccines are saving lives.”
DHS Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk said the state could open up the vaccine’s eligibility to many more Wisconsin residents because it expects to receive hundreds of thousands of additional doses per week.
“We have seen a significant increase in vaccines over the past two months and we will continue to see that increase, according to our federal partners,” said Van Dijk. “This means that we don’t have to do this continuous group-by-group-by-group staging.”
The state has administered more than 200,000 doses in each of the past five weeks. Van Dijk said in a press conference on Thursday that the number would increase to 400,000-500,000 doses per week.
As for the challenge of vaccinating so many people and categorizing a wide range of health issues, DHS officials said on Thursday that they recommended that vaccinators create their own sub-levels of groups among those with pre-existing illnesses.
Mo Kharbat, Vice President of Pharmacy Services at SSM Health, said earlier this week that the healthcare system was already exploring this idea, citing the idea of starting with those over 55 as an example.
The rest of the audience may have to wait
Van Dijk said that, given current projections of vaccine supply, after enough people in Group 1C received the vaccine, the rest of the general public would become eligible in May.
“Everyone will be qualified in May and that is the biggest message I want everyone to hear right now,” said Van Dijk.
Van Dijk said employers should start planning vaccination clinics now to inoculate their employees. It will be part of a larger effort to ensure that vaccinators across the state are able to handle a supply that DHS officials hope will soon match, or even exceed, demand.
“We need all the help, because this will be the point where there will be a lot of vaccine and a lot of demand and we need a lot of vaccinators administering it,” said Van Dijk.
Thursday’s announcement brought disappointment to those in a series of fields deemed “essential” by the Centers for Disease Control.
The CDC’s recommendations put the manufacturing sector in Phase 1B, along with grocery store workers and transit workers.
“Unlike some companies, dedicated and dedicated ‘shop floor’ workers at manufacturing companies were unable to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Kurt Bauer, president of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce in a statement. “This is just unfair.”
The CDC’s recommendations included people from Phase 1C who work in transportation and logistics, housing construction and communications.
All of these workers will become eligible with the rest of the general public in May.
“If you are fortunate not to have one of these conditions, you will be fortunate to be included in May,” said Van Dijk. “I know we are encouraging the supply of vaccines, but we still don’t have 5.8 million vaccines or even 4.6 million vaccines, that is, all adults.”