THIS WEEK ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROBIN
VOS WROTE A LETTER TO GOVERNOR
EVERS DESCRIBING THE STATE
EFFORT TO SECURE AND DISTRIBUTE
VACCINE AS WOEFULLY INADEQUATE.
NOT POSITIVE FEEDBACK FOR THE
OFFICIALS NOW EMBARKED ON THE
MOST COMPLICATED PUBLIC HEALTH
EFFORT OF THEIR LIFETIMES.
WE GET THE LATEST ON THE STATE'S
VACCINE SUPPLY NOW FROM JULIE
WILLEMS VAN DIJK.
WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THOSE
WORDS FROM SPEAKER VOS?
>> WELL, I THINK WE HAVE TAKEN
ON A HERCULEAN EFFORT AND WE
HAVE PEOPLE ACROSS THE STATE WHO
ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO
MOVE VACCINE QUICKLY AND GET IT
IN THE ARMS OF WISCONSINITES.
THERE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A
DELAY BETWEEN WHEN VACCINE IS
ALLOCATED, SHIPPED AND IN ARMS,
BUT WE ARE NOW OVER 200,000
VACCINES GIVEN AND WE WILL
CONTINUE TO MARCH FORWARD IN
PROTECTING THE PEOPLE OF
WISCONSIN.
>> IS IT TRUE THAT -- I MEAN, SO
YOU'VE GIVEN 200,000 VACCINES,
BUT ARE THERE ANOTHER 200,000
KIND OF WAITING HERE IN
WISCONSIN TO BE GIVEN?
>> WELL, THAT 200,000 NUMBER
REPRESENTS BOTH VACCINES THAT
ARE IN TRANSIT AND THAT ARE IN
INVENTORY.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT NUMBER IN
ANY GIVEN WEEK, ABOUT HALF OF
THEM, ARE ACTUALLY THE VACCINES
THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING
SHIPPED.
SO YOU CAN'T GIVE A VACCINE
THAT'S STILL ON THE FEDEX TRUCK.
AND THE OTHER 100,000 ARE IN THE
INVENTORY TO BE DELIVERED IN A
WEEK.
SO PROPORTIONALLY THERE'S ALWAYS
GOING TO BE THESE VACCINES IN
TRANSIT.
BUT AS WE GO ON, IT WILL BE A
SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL
NUMBER ADMINISTERED.
>> ARE THERE ISSUES IN WISCONSIN
WITH GETTING THESE VACCINES OUT
AS FAST AS POSSIBLE?
I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE SAID WE
NEED MORE VACCINE FROM THE FEDS.
>> MM-HMM.
YES.
THERE'S NOT A PROBLEM WITH
GETTING VACCINE OUT TO OUR
VACCINATEORS.
WE HAVE A GREAT SYSTEM MOVING
THAT FORWARD ALTHOUGH IT DOES
TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
FOR THE PFIZER VACCINE, VACCINE
IS DELIVERED TO OUR REGIONAL
HUBS AND RE-DISTRIBUTED.
WE MADE OVER 156 DELIVERIES LAST
WEEK.
SO THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A FEW
WEEKS.
BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE, IF
WE'RE GOING TO GET TO 80% HERD
IMMUNITY BY SEPTEMBER OF THIS
YEAR, WE NEED OVER A MILLION
DOSES A MONTH TO DO THAT.
AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE NOT
RECEIVING HALF OF THAT.
WE'RE ONLY RECEIVING ABOUT
457,000 DOSES A MONTH.
SO WE'VE GOT TO INCREASE THE
VACCINE SUPPLY IF WE'RE GOING TO
ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS.
>> I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE STILL
IN THE FIRST PHASE WHERE HEALTH
CARE WORKERS AND THOSE IN
NURSING HOMES ARE BEING GIVEN
THE VACCINE.
IS WISCONSIN MICROMANAGING THE
VACCINE AS HAS BEEN CLAIMED?
>> I THINK WISCONSIN IS BEING
VERY DELIBERATE ABOUT HOW WE'RE
MANAGING THIS.
THERE'S OVER 550,000 PEOPLE IN
THAT FIRST PHASE, 185,000 PEOPLE
WHO HAVE HAD IT.
THERE'S MORE TO BE VACCINATED IN
THAT STAGE.
WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE CHAOS OF
HEALTH SYSTEMS, PHONE SYSTEMS
CRASHING BY OPENING UP TO
EVERYBODY AND NOT HAVING ENOUGH
SLOTS FOR APPOINTMENTS OR ENOUGH
VACCINE.
SO WE'RE DOING THIS IN A
METHODICAL WAY.
>> SO WITH THAT SAID, WHO'S NEXT
AND HOW WILL THEY KNOW THAT
THEY'RE NEXT IN LINE?
>> YEAH.
WE HAVE A PROPOSAL OPEN FOR
PUBLIC COMMENT RIGHT NOW, BUT IT
WILL BE OLDER ADULTS, POLICE AND
FIRE, EDUCATORS, PEOPLE WHO LIVE
IN CONGREGATE SETTINGS IS WHAT
IS ON THE TABLE AND I'M
CONFIDENT MUCH OF THAT WILL MOVE
FORWARD.
AND THEY'LL KNOW THROUGH A
VARIETY OF MECHANISMS.
THE MEDIA, OUR WEBSITE.
WE'VE SET UP A NEW EMAIL PEOPLE
CAN SIGN UP FOR TO GET UPDATES
ON VACCINE.
AND WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR
HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS THAT AS WE
IDENTIFY A GROUP, LIKE PEOPLE
OVER 65, THEY CAN REACH OUT TO
THEIR PATIENTS FOR SCHEDULING.
>> AWESOME.
ALL RIGHT.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.