IS INCREASINGLY OPENING COVID-19
VACCINE ELIGIBILITY TO MORE
PEOPLE, INCLUDING PEOPLE OVER
AGE 65.
BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE QUICK.
>> ON MONDAY, WISCONSINITES 65
AND OLDER WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO
RECEIVE THE VACCINE.
THIS IS GREAT NEWS AND WILL HELP
SAVE LIVES IN ONE OF THE
POPULATIONS WE KNOW IS
PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO
SEVERE EFFECTS OF THE VIRUS.
BUT, FOLKS, HERE IN WISCONSIN
IT'S NOT A SMALL GROUP.
THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 700,000
WISCONSIN RESIDENTS 65 AND
OLDER.
THE AMOUNT OF VACCINE WE GET
FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL
HELP DETERMINE HOW QUICKLY WE
CAN GET THROUGH THIS GROUP.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED
WITH THE SUPPLIES WE HAVE
AVAILABLE NOWMENT
>> NOW.
GOVERNOR EVERS ASKS THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE MORE
VACCINE TO WISCONSIN.
WE TURN TO PBS WISCONSIN NEWS
REPORTER WILL CUSHMAN WHO COVERS
ALL THINGS COVID FOR US.
THANKS A LOT FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> SO EVEN AS THE GOVERNOR SAYS
HOW IT WILL BE A LIFT TO
VACCINATION 700,000 PEOPLE OVER
THE AGE OF 65, THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH SERVICES IS EXPANDING
WHO'S ELIGIBLE NEXT WEEK.
BUT WITH NOT ENOUGH VACCINE
COMING INTO WISCONSIN BUT
INCREASING NUMBERS OF THOSE
ELIGIBLE, HOW DOES HA WORK?
>> YEAH.
IT'S GOING TO WORK SLOWLY.
SO RIGHT NOW WISCONSIN IS
VACCINATING ABOUT -- OR
ADMINISTERING ABOUT 70 DOSES PER
WEEK.
AS YOU JUST MENTIONED, THE
NEWLY-ELIGIBLE AGE GROUP NEXT
MONDAY, ALL THOSE 65 AND OLDER,
THAT'S A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT IS
700,000 STRONG.
SO AT THE CURRENT RATE, IT WOULD
TAKE ABOUT TEN WEEKS TO
VACCINATE THAT WHOLE AGE GROUP
OR TO ADMINISTER THEIR FIRST
DOSE.
REALLY PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS
ARE MOVING FROM KIND OF THE
RISKIEST GROUPS IN THE STATE, SO
FRONT LINE HEALTH CARE WORKERS,
NURSING HOME RESIDENTS AND STAFF
AND ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY
RESIDENTS AND STAFF TO WHO THEY
DEEM TO BE KIND OF IN THIS NEXT
RISKIEST GROUP AND THAT WOULD
INCLUDE ALL OF THOSE 65 AND
OLDER, BECAUSE, AS WE KNOW,
ALMOST 90% OF THE DEATHS DUE TO
COVID IN WISCONSIN ARE IN THAT
AGE GROUP.
>> SO WHO'S EXPECTED TO BE IN
THIS NEXT GROUP THAT THE STATE
IS GOING TO ANNOUNCE NEXT WEEK?
>> RIGHT.
THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
SERVICES DID RECEIVE
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A STATE
COMMITTEE THAT'S WORKING ON
DETERMINING WHO SHOULD BE
ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINE WHEN.
THE DEPARTMENT IS EXPECTED TO
ACT ON THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS
EARLY NEXT WEEK.
RIGHT NOW THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS
INCLUDE TEACHERS, K-12 TEACHERS,
CHILD CARE WORKERS AND A COUPLE
OTHER GROUPS, TRANSIT WORKERS
AND GROCERY STORE WORKERS AND
FOOD SERVICE WORKERS.
>> WOW.
A LOT MORE PEOPLE, WHICH IS
GOOD, AND WE HOPE THOSE VACCINES
KEEP POURING INTO WISCONSIN.
WHAT IS THE GUIDANCE FROM HEALTH
OFFICIALS AS TO HOW PEOPLE ARE
SUPPOSED TO GET THEMSELVES IN
QUEUE TO GET A VACCINE IF
THEY'RE OUTSIDE HEALTH SYSTEMS
OR OTHER WORKPLACES THAT WILL
VACCINATE THEM?
>> YEAH.
SO THE HOPE IS THAT -- THERE ARE
MORE VACCINATORS COMING ONLINE
EVERY DAY.
AS OF YESTERDAY THERE ARE ABOUT
1300 REGISTERED VACCINATORS TO
PROVIDE THE COVID-19 VACCINES IN
THE STATE.
SO THE HOPE IS THAT THERE WILL
BE A LOT MORE PLACES TO GO TO
GET THE VACCINE, INCLUDING
COMMUNITY PHARMACIES AND
CLINICS, PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS.
SO STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE
RECOMMENDING THAT PEOPLE TRY TO
SEARCH ONLINE FIRST FOR
INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE THEY CAN
GET THEIR COVID SHOT AND THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES IS
ACTUALLY RECOMMENDING THAT FOLKS
APPROACH TRYING TO SECURE A
COVID VACCINE IN THE SAME WAY OR
AT THE SAME VENUES THAT THEY
WOULD GET THEIR ANNUAL FLU SHOT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WOW.
WELL, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
THE INFORMATION, WILL