TEST.
THIS IS A TEST.
TESTING.
>> WELCOME TO "NOON WEDNESDAY,"
I'MED I'M.
>> WELCOME TO "NOON WEDNESDAY,"
I'M MARISA WOJCIK.
TODAY IS JANUARY 20TH.
WISCONSIN'S VACCINE ROLLOUT HAS
BEEN GOING FOR ABOUT A MONTH
NOW, BUT STILL A LOT OF
CONFUSION OVER HOW THAT PROCESS
IS HAPPENING IN THE STATE.
SO TO DIG INTO ALL THE SPECIFICS
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW, HOW TO
INTERPRET THIS DATA, IS WILL
CUSHMAN FROM OUR PARTNERS AT
WISCONTEXT, AND WILL, THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
BEFORE WE GET INTO WHERE
VACCINATIONS ARE HEADING, I WANT
TO COVER WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING
ALL FOR THE PAST MONTH.
SO, WHO HAS BEEN ELIGIBLE FOR
THE VACCINE AND ABOUT HOW MANY
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN VACCINATED TO
DATE?
>> SURE.
SO, THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN
ELIGIBLE SINCE MID DECEMBER,
THAT WOULD BE THE PEOPLE IN
PHASE 1A OF THE DISTRIBUTION
PLAN, THAT INCLUDES FRONT LINE
HEALTHCARE WORKERS, AS WELL AS
RESIDENTS AND STAFF AT LONG-TERM
CARE FACILITIES.
SO THE FIRST GROUP OF, IN THAT
COHORT INCLUDED RESIDENTS AND
STAFF AT SKILLED NURSING
FACILITIES, AND THE STATE IS
PRETTY CLOSE TO WRAPPING UP
GIVING EVERYONE IN THAT GROUP
THEIR FIRST DOSE OF VACCINE.
YESTERDAY THE WISCONSIN
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES
REPORTED ABOUT 89% OF THE
POPULATION IN THAT GROUP HAD
GOTTEN THEIR FIRST DOSE OF
VACCINE AND THE STATE IS NOW
MOVING ON TO THEIR FOLKS,
RESIDENTS IN ASSISTED LIVING
COMMUNITIES AND STAFF THERE AS
WELL.
AND THEN JUST ON MONDAY THIS
WEEK THE STATE OPENED UP
VACCINATION FOR THE FIRST PART
OF WHAT THEY ARE CALLING PHASE
1B, AND THAT INCLUDES POLICE AND
FIREFIGHTERS, ABOUT 70,000 OR SO
PEOPLE IN THAT GROUP IN THE
STATE, AND THEN JUST YESTERDAY
THE STATE ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT
ALL RESIDENTS AGE 65 AND OLDER
WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE
VACCINE BEGINNING NEXT MONDAY.
I BELIEVE THAT WOULD BE THE
25TH.
AND IN TERMS OF --
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THAT.
>> SURE.
>> YEAH.
>> SO, HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
TOTAL VACCINATED, AND THEN FOR
THAT 65 AND OLDER CATEGORY,
THAT'S ABOUT 700,000 PEOPLE.
DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA AS TO HOW
LONG IT WILL TAKE TO GET THROUGH
THAT GROUP?
>> WELL, AT OUR CURRENT RATE, SO
RIGHT NOW ABOUT 240 SOME
THOUSAND DOSES HAVE BEEN
ADMINISTERED.
40,000 PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN THEIR
FULL SET OF SHOTS, SO 40,000
PEOPLE IN THE STATE ARE FULLY
VACCINATED, THIS IS AS OF
YESTERDAY.
THE NUMBER WILL BE A LITTLE
HIGHER NOW.
AND WE ALSO HEARD YESTERDAY
DURING MEDIA BRIEFING THAT THEY
HAVE BEEN, IN THE LAST COUPLE
WEEKS THERE HAVE BEEN ABOUT
70,000 DOSES ADMINISTERED
ROUGHLY EACH WEEK AND SO IF WE
EXTRAPOLATE FROM THERE, THE
LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE, 65 AND
OLDER, ABOUT 700,000 PEOPLE AND
ABOUT 70,000 PEOPLE ARE
CURRENTLY BEING VACCINATED PER
WEEK RIGHT NOW, THAT GROUP JUST
ALONE ITSELF WOULD TAKE ABOUT
TEN WEEKS TO VACCINATE.
SO, I THINK THE HOPE IS THAT THE
VACCINATIONS WILL BE SPEEDING
UP.
>> SO REASONABLY SOMEONE WHO IS
IN THAT AGE CATEGORY, THEY HEARD
THIS NEWS, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO
BE VACCINATED NEXT WEEK,
NECESSARILY, MAYBE IT MIGHT BE A
COUPLE OF MONTHS, SO IF YOU
HEARD THIS NEWS AND IN THAT
CATEGORY, WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IN
ORDER TO FIND OUT WHAT STEPS TO
TAKE?
>> YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT
QUESTION.
YESTERDAY THE ASSISTANT
SECRETARY FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH SERVICES, JULIE VAN DYKE,
OFFERED ADVICE FOR PEOPLE IN
THIS AGE GROUP AND SAID TO THINK
A LITTLE ABOUT GETTING YOUR
COVID VACCINE LIKE YOU WOULD
YOUR ANNUAL FLU SHOT, AND SO
TURN TO WHERE, WHATEVER VENUE OR
PROVIDER YOU USUALLY GO TO TO
GET YOUR FLU SHOT TO INQUIRE
ABOUT A COVID VACCINE.
WHETHER THAT IS YOUR PHARMACY OR
YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, YOUR
DOCTOR, A LOT OF PEOPLE GET
VACCINATED, ACTUALLY, AT THEIR
PLACE OF WORK.
THERE ARE OTHER PLACES AS WELL.
COMMUNITY CLINICS, LOCAL HEALTH
DEPARTMENTS ALSO PROVIDE SHOTS,
SO SHE ADVISED THAT PEOPLE START
THERE AND INQUIRE JUST KIND OF
THE TYPICAL ROUTE THAT THEY
WOULD GO ABOUT TRYING TO FIND A
FLU SHOT.
ALSO ADVISED TRYING TO DO THAT
AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ONLINE, IF
YOU HAVE INTERNET ACCESS.
IF YOU HAVE A MY TURN ACCOUNT
THROUGH YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER
OR SOME OTHER MEANS TO CONTACT
YOUR PHARMACY OR EMPLOYER, WHAT
HAVE YOU, SHE RECOMMENDED GOING
THAT ROUTE RATHER THAN TRYING TO
GET ON THE PHONE.
AS WE HEARD YESTERDAY QUITE A
FEW REPORTS OF PHONES RINGING
OFF THE HOOK AT PHARMACIES ALL
OVER AS PEOPLE WHO ARE
RIGHTFULLY ANXIOUS TO GET
VACCINATED ARE TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT WHEN AND WHERE THEY CAN
ACTUALLY DO THAT.
AND YOU ARE RIGHT.
IT'S LOOKING LIKE THAT AGE GROUP
WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE
VACCINE STARTING NEXT MONDAY BUT
THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN
THAT GROUP ARE NOT ACTUALLY
REASONABLY GOING -- SHOULD NOT
REASONABLY EXPECT TO GET THE
VACCINE NEXT MONDAY OR EVEN NEXT
WEEK PROBABLY, IT'S GOING TO BE
PROBABLY LATER IN FEBRUARY OR
MARCH.
>> AND SPEAKING OF THESE
CATEGORIES, SO ONE, WE ARE IN
1A, WE ARE HEADING TOWARDS 1B.
JULIE WILLIAMS VAN DYKE SAID
THINK OF IT LIKE BOARDING AN
AIRPLANE.
ONCE KIND OF ZONE 1 HAS BEGUN TO
KIND OF TRICKLE IN THE LINE,
THEN YOU START BOARDING THE NEXT
ZONE ON THE PLANE.
AND THEY DECIDE THESE CATEGORIES
BASED ON WHO IS AT RISK,
AVAILABLE DOSES, C.D.C.
GUIDELINES, THE STATE'S ADVISORY
COMMITTEE JUST THIS MORNING
ADDED FOOD WORKERS AND BUS
DRIVERS TO PHASE 1B, AND SO
THAT'S ALONG WITH TEACHERS,
CHILDCARE WORKERS, PRISONERS AND
MORE.
SO, TOTAL THIS CATEGORY WOULD BE
ABOUT 1.6 MILLION PEOPLE, ABOUT
A THIRD OF THE STATE'S
POPULATION.
IS THIS GOING TO TAKE A LONG
TIME, AND IS THIS GOING TO BE
CONFUSING?
>> I WOULD SAY YES AND YES.
AND YEAH, IT'S GOING TO TAKE
DEFINITELY SOME TIME TO WORK
THROUGH THAT POPULATION.
AS YOU SAID, THAT'S ONE-THIRD OF
THE STATE RESIDENTS IN WISCONSIN
WOULD BE ELIGIBLE IN THIS PHASE
1B.
BASED ON HOW THE ROLLOUT OF THIS
PHASE 1B HAS GONE SO FAR, KIND
OF A STEPPED APPROACH, I IMAGINE
THAT THOSE GROUPS, THOSE
CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE THAT YOU
JUST MENTIONED WILL BE ELIGIBLE
TO BE VACCINATED KIND OF AT
VARIOUS POINTS IN THE SPRING,
HOPEFULLY.
AND AS YOU SAID, JULIE WILLIAMS
VAN DYKE TALKED ABOUT THIS,
THINK ABOUT IT LIKE YOU ARE
BOARDING A PLANE, THERE'S ZONES
AND GROUPS AND USUALLY THEY'LL
START BOARDING A ZONE BEFORE
LIKE THE PREVIOUS ZONE IS
COMPLETELY BOARDED AND THEY ARE
DOING THAT WITH THE VACCINE
ROLLOUT AS WELL.
THEY ARE MAKING PEOPLE ELIGIBLE
FOR THE VACCINE BEFORE EVERYONE
IN THE PREVIOUS ELIGIBLE GROUP
WAS VACCINATED JUST, THAT'S IN
TERMS OF -- THE GOAL THERE IS
JUST TO GET SHOTS IN ARMS AS
QUICK AS POSSIBLE.
THEY ARE ALSO TRYING TO BE
METHODICAL ABOUT IT, AND
WEIGHING THE RELATIVE RISKS OF
FOLKS WE KNOW THAT OLDER PEOPLE
ARE MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO
SERIOUS DISEASE AND DEATH, WHY
THEY ARE AMONG THE FIRST TO GET
VACCINATED, AND THOSE ESSENTIAL
WORKERS WHO REALLY CANNOT WORK
FROM HOME OR DAILY LIKELY
POTENTIALLY EXPOSED TO THE
VIRUS.
THEY'LL BE NEXT.
BUT YEAH, WE SHOULD BE THINKING
ABOUT JUST FOR INSTANCE, MYSELF,
THE WAY I'M THINKING ABOUT IT,
IS I'M A 32-YEAR-OLD RELATIVELY
HEALTHY PERSON, AND I'M NOT
EXPECTING TO BE IN ANY OF THE
PHASE 1 CATEGORIES, THERE IS
ALSO A PHASE 1C, BUT I'LL BE IN
PHASE 2, THE GENERAL POPULATION.
I'M INVITED TO TWO WEDDINGS, ONE
IN MAY AND ONE IN SEPTEMBER, I'M
NOT PLANNING TO BE VACCINATED
FOR THE WEDDING IN MAY, WHICH IS
DISAPPOINTING, AND HOPING,
CROSSING MY FINGERS I'LL BE
VACCINATED IN TIME FOR THE
WEDDING IN SEPTEMBER, AND THAT
PLENTY OF OTHER PEOPLE WILL BE,
TOO.
AND WE'LL SEE, THOUGH.
DEPENDING ON HOW THINGS GO, IF
VACCINATION GOES AT THE RATE
IT'S BEEN AT THE LAST COUPLE
WEEKS, IT WILL TAKE A YEAR TO
GET THROUGH THE POPULATION
ITSELF.
>> AND IT SOUNDS LIKE HAVING A
MORE KIND OF CONSERVATIVE FRAME
OF MIND IN TERMS OF WHEN EVERY
SINGLE PERSON IS GOING TO GET
THEIR SHOT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE
OF A REALISTIC FRAME OF MIND.
BUT WITH THAT, AS WE ARE OPENING
MORE CATEGORIES AND THAT
POPULATION IS EXPANDING, WE
FOUND OUT RECENTLY THAT WHAT WE
THOUGHT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
WAS DOING AND RESERVING VACCINES
FOR A SECOND DOSE AND GOVERNORS
WERE CALLING FOR THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT TO RELEASE THOSE
DOSES, THEY ACTUALLY DON'T
EXIST.
IS THERE A RISK OF NOT HAVING
ENOUGH DOSES FOR PEOPLE AS WE
ARE EXPANDING THESE CATEGORIES?
>> YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A REAL
RISK.
GOVERNOR EVERS CALLED IT A SLAP
IN THE FACE WHEN HE FOUND OUT
THAT THIS RESERVE OF DOSES THAT
WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HELD KIND OF
IN A STOCKPILE IN FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AS YOU SAID WAS HELD
FOR SECOND DOSES FOR PEOPLE NO
LONGER EXISTED, WAS ALREADY
DEPLETED.
AND YEAH, I THINK LIKE WE HAVE
JUST THIS WEEK THE NUMBER OF NEW
DOSES THAT WERE ALLOCATED TO THE
STATE WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT 10,000
DOSES LOWER THAN THE PREVIOUS
WEEK'S ALLOCATION.
SO WE ARE MAYBE ALREADY SEEING A
BIT OF A PLATEAU IN THE
AVAILABILITY OF DOSES.
I THINK THE HOPE IS THAT THAT
WON'T LAST VERY LONG.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OTHER
VACCINES ON THE HORIZON THAT ARE
NOT YET APPROVED FOR USE.
THERE'S ONE FROM JOHNSON &
JOHNSON THAT I THINK WILL
HOPEFULLY BE APPROVED IN THE
NEXT WEEKS OR A MONTH OR TWO.
THAT'S JUST A SINGLE DOSE
VACCINE, SO THAT COULD BE REALLY
HELPFUL.
AND A COUPLE OTHER VACCINE
CANDIDATES THAT ARE ALSO LOOKING
PRETTY PROMISING.
ASSUMING THAT THOSE COMPANION
LINE, THAT WILL HELP ALLEVIATE
THIS BOTTLENECK.
AND ALSO PRESIDENT BIDEN, WHO
JUST TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE
MINUTES AGO, I THINK THIS IS
OBVIOUSLY ONE OF HIS TOP
PRIORITIES ENTERING OFFICE AND
HE HAS A PLAN THAT HE WOULD LIKE
TO INCLUDE INVOKING THE DEFENSE
PRODUCTION ACT TO HELP SPEED UP
THE PRODUCTION OF VACCINE AND
VACCINE SUPPLIES.
SO IF THAT ALL GOES HOW THEY ARE
HOPING IT WILL, THAT WOULD
HOPEFULLY HELP SPEED UP
MANUFACTURING AND DISTRIBUTION
OF DOSES AS WELL.
>> AND SO WE HAVE BEEN HEARING
FROM STATE REPUBLICANS.
THEY HAVE BEEN VERY CRITICAL OF
THE STATE OF WISCONSIN,
SPECIFICALLY DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR
TONY EVERS AND HIS
ADMINISTRATION FOR A FAILED
VACCINE ROLLOUT BUT THE STATE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH JUST KEEPS
SAYING WE NEED MORE VACCINES.
IS THERE A DISCONNECT IN WHAT
THOSE TWO ARE ARGUING?
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE JUST REALLY
DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VACCINES OR
ARE WE SITTING ON SOME AND THESE
SHOTS ARE NOT GETTING INTO ARMS
AND VACCINES ARE SITTING ON
SHELVES?
>> RIGHT, YEAH.
AND THIS GETS INTO JUST HOW KIND
OF DIFFICULT IT IS TO KEEP TABS
ON THE NUMBER OF VACCINE DOSES
THAT ARE ANYWHERE AT ANY GIVEN
POINT.
I'VE BEEN KEEPING TRACK OF THE
DATA THAT THE C.D.C. PUBLISHES
AS WELL AS THE WISCONSIN
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES
PUBLISHES RELATED TO THE NUMBER
OF VACCINE DOSES THAT ARE
ALLOCATED, SO EACH STATE AND
TERRITORY IS ALLOCATED A CERTAIN
NUMBER OF DOSES, BASED ON THEIR
POPULATION EVERY WEEK.
AND THEN ALSO THE NUMBER OF
DOSES THAT ARE ACTUALLY
DISTRIBUTED.
THERE'S BEEN SOME CONFUSION
ABOUT WHAT DISTRIBUTED ACTUALLY
MEANS BECAUSE A GOOD NUMBER OF
THOSE DOSES AT ANY GIVEN TIME
MAY NOT ACTUALLY BE IN WISCONSIN
YET.
THEY MAY STILL BE EN ROUTE FROM
THE MANUFACTURERS.
SO THAT'S BEEN KIND OF AN AREA
OF CONFUSION.
AND THEN, EXCUSE ME, ALSO JUST
THE NUMBER OF DOSES THAT ARE
ACTUALLY ADMINISTERED, THE DATA
THAT'S KEPT BY THE C.D.C. AND
THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH SERVICES PRETTY MUCH ON A
DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, THEY DO NOT
LINE UP.
WISCONSIN'S DATA TENDS TO BE, I
THINK, A LITTLE MORE UP TO DATE
AND THE C.D.C. IS BEHIND
REPORTING OF THOSE SHOTS IN ARMS
AND I THINK THAT IS WHERE SOME
OF THE -- SOME OF THE CRITICISM
OF WISCONSIN'S VACCINE ROLLOUT
ORIGINATES BECAUSE THE C.D.C. IS
ALSO COLLECTING AND PUBLISHING
DATA FROM EVERY OTHER STATE AND
I'M NOT SURE HOW UP TO DATE ITS
DATA IS FROM EVERY STATE, BUT
IT'S NUMBERS FROM WISCONSIN
BEING OUT OF DATE IT APPEARS
FEWER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
VACCINATED OR RECEIVED THEIR
FIRST DOSES THAN IS ACTUALLY THE
CASE.
AND EVEN WITH THAT, WISCONSIN IS
A LITTLE BEHIND MIDDLE OF THE
PACK IN TERMS OF THE PERCENTAGE
OF STATE RESIDENTS THAT HAVE
RECEIVED THEIR FIRST DOSE IS
ABOUT 3% RIGHT NOW.
BUT I THINK THAT'S WHERE SOME OF
THE CRITICISM IS ORIGINATING,
BUT I'VE ALSO HEARD CRITICISM
BOTH IN REPORTING AND STORIES
I'VE READ BUT THEN ALSO HEARING
FROM PEOPLE DIRECTLY, CRITICISM
OF JUST THE COMMUNICATION
SURROUNDING THE VACCINE
DISTRIBUTION AND ROLLOUT AND
PLANS AND WHERE PEOPLE CAN GET
THEIR VACCINE AND WHEN.
I THINK THERE HAS BEEN QUITE A
BIT OF CONFUSION.
I THINK THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
SERVICES, I THINK, IS
UNDERSTANDING OF THAT, AND LIKE
THEY ARE ACTUALLY, THEY HAVE
REALLY BEEFED UP THE AMOUNT OF
INFORMATION AVAILABLE RELATED TO
THE VACCINE PROGRAM ON THEIR
WEBSITE.
THEY ARE NOW SENDING OUT A
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER TO PROVIDE
UPDATES AND PROVIDING MORE
FREQUENT MEDIA BRIEFINGS ABOUT
THE STATUS OF VACCINATION AND
WHO IS ELIGIBLE AND HOW THEY CAN
GO ABOUT GETTING THE VACCINE.
I THINK THAT WAS CERTAINLY IN
THE FIRST MONTH OF THE ROLLOUT
AN ISSUE, THE COMMUNICATION WAS.
>> YEAH, AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO
REMEMBER.
IT'S ONLY BEEN A MONTH AND BASED
ON WHAT YOU SAID, IT IS VERY
DIFFICULT TO COMPARE ONE STATE
TO ANOTHER AND THEN EVERY STATE
TO EVERY OTHER STATE.
BUT OVERALL IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE
IS A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY
THINGS HAVE NOT BEEN GOING QUITE
AS FAST AS WE WOULD HAVE LIKED
THEM TO.
THERE WAS AN ORIGINAL PROJECTION
OF BY FALL OF 2021 THAT WE WOULD
ACHIEVE SOME SORT OF HERD
IMMUNITY, WHICH IS ABOVE 80%.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE ARE NOT
GOING TO REACH THAT GOAL AND
THAT IS A REALITY FOR A NUMBER
OF REASONS.
>> CORRECT, YEAH.
AT LEAST THAT GOAL IS LOOKING
NOT SUPER ACHIEVABLE ESPECIALLY
AT THE RATE THAT WE ARE
CURRENTLY VACCINATING.
AGAIN, ANYTHING -- I DON'T WANT
TO SAY ANYTHING WITH TOO MUCH
ASSURANCE BECAUSE A LOT OF
THINGS ARE CHANGING REALLY
RAPIDLY RIGHT NOW RELATED TO
CERTAINLY THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE
PANDEMIC AND TO VACCINATION, BUT
YEAH, AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS,
EARLY FALL IS LOOKING EXTREMELY
OPTIMISTIC FOR HAVING 80% OF THE
STATE POPULATION VACCINATED.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WELL, I'M SURE WE WILL BE
CONNECTING WITH YOU AGAIN IN THE
FUTURE AS YOU ARE KEEPING AN EYE
ON THIS DATA VERY, VERY CLOSELY
AND JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
SHARING WITH US WHAT YOU KNOW
TODAY.
>> HAPPY TO.
THANKS, MARISA.
>> FOR MORE FROM WILL CUSHMAN
AND WISCONTEXT AND ALL OF THE
DATA, INCLUDING A LOT OF REALLY
AMAZING VISUALSATIONS,
WISCONTEXT, AND MORE FROM PBS
WISCONSIN.ORG.
AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON
"NOON WEDNESDAY."