OUTPACE THE VIRUS, WISCONSIN IS
OPENING UP WHO CAN GET THE
VACCINE STARTING AT THE END OF
THIS MONTH AND THIS WEEK SAID
THAT BY MAY EVERYONE WILL BE
ABLE TO BE VACCINATED.
BY MARCH 29 PEOPLE WITH
UNDERLYING CONDITIONS WILL BE
ELIGIBLE, WITH ALL ADULTS OVER
THE AGE OF 16 ABLE TO GET THE
VACCINE JUST A MONTH LATER.
VERY PROMISING NEWS.
WE CHECK IN WITH INTERIM
SECRETARY OF DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH SERVICES KAREN
TIMBERLAKE.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> YOU'RE VERY WELCOME.
>> OPENING UP THE ELIGIBILITY
AND MAKING WAY FOR ALL ADULTS TO
BE VACCINATED STARTING IN
MAY SUGGESTS THAT WISCONSIN WILL
SEE A MAJOR UPTICK IN SUPPLY.
WHAT'S THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
TELLING THE STATE ABOUT SUPPLY
COMING IN AND WHEN?
>> WE HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF WEEKS
OF JUST REALLY GOOD NEWS ON THE
VACCINE SUPPLY FRONT.
SO IF WE THINK BACK TO JUST
MAYBE FOUR OR FIVE WEEKS AGO, WE
WERE GETTING ABOUT 70,000 FIRST
DOSES INTO THE STATE EVERY WEEK.
BY NEXT WEEK, WE'LL BE AT ABOUT
179,000 FIRST DOSES.
SO IT'S TWO AND A HALF TIMES
INCREASE FROM WHERE WE WERE.
BY EEFERL EARLY APRIL WE'RE EXPECTING
225,000.
BY MAY 250,000.
SO THE NEWS HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT
GOOD.
>> AS TO THE VACCINE BEING
EXPANDED, IT INCLUDES PEOPLE
WITH UNDERLYING CONDITIONS LIKE
CANCER OR HEART DISEASE.
HOW MANY ADDITIONAL PEOPLE IS
THAT IF THE QUEUE FOR THE
VACCINE?
>> ABOUT ANOTHER TWO MILLION
WISCONSINITES WHO WILL BE IN
THAT ELIGIBILITY GROUP AND
THAT'S BECAUSE BETWEEN THE
RESEARCH FROM THE CDC AND
ELSEWHERE AND CERTAINLY THE
REVIEW BY OUR OWN STATE MEDICAL
ADVISERS IT'S A FAIRLY LONG LIST
OF UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS
THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE
REACH OUT TO PEOPLE WITH THOSE
CONDITIONS, MAKE SURE THEY
UNDERSTAND THAT THEY WILL BE
ELIGIBLE AS OF THE VERY END OF
MARCH TO GET IN LINE, AS YOU
SAY, AND GET THAT VACCINE.
>> ONE OF THOSE INCLUDES BEING
SIMPLY OVERWEIGHT.
WILL PEOPLE HAVE TO VERIFY THEIR
CONDITIONS?
>> OUR EXPECTATION OF OUR
VACCINATORS IS THAT THEY WILL
NOT REQUIRE ANY PARTICULAR
VERIFICATION.
WE DO ASK PEOPLE TO SIGN AN
ATTESTATION FORM THAT THEY ARE
ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE.
FOR THESE UNDERLYING MEDICAL
CONDITIONS, OUR HEALTH CARE
PARTNERS, OUR HOSPITALS, OUR
CLINICS, OUR COMMUNITY CLINICS,
OUR PHARMACIES, THEY'RE WELL
AWARE OF THEIR PATIENT
POPULATIONS AND WE KNOW THEY
WILL DO A GREAT JOB OF OUTREACH.
>> YOU'VE ADDED A NEW CATEGORY
OF PEOPLE TO THE ELIGIBILITY
LIST AND THAT IS RESTAURANT
WORKERS.
WHEN ARE THEY ELIGIBLE?
>> THEY'RE ELIGIBLE STARTING
RIGHT NOW.
SO IN THE CURRENT GROUPS OF
PEOPLE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE, WE
ADDED PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING IN
OUR FOOD SUPPLY, SO GROCERY
WORKERS, PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING
ALL ALONG THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN.
>> WHEN DO YOU EXPECT THE STATE
TO REACH HERD IMMUNITY?
>> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTIONMENT
WHAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT
FOR ARE WUN TO UNDERSTAND IS
THAT WE HAVE THREE EXCELLENT
VACCINES THAT ARE SAFE, THEY ARE
INCREASINGLY AVAILABLE.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR EVERY
PERSON WHO IS ELIGIBLE TODAY TO
SEEK OUT AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET A
VACCINE.
AS PEOPLE BECOME ELIGIBLE DOWN
THE ROAD, WE NEED EVERYBODY
STEPPING UP TO PROTECT
THEMSELVES AND PROTECT ALL OF
US.
>> SO WHAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR
PEOPLE TO SIGN UP TO GET THE
VACCINE?
>> THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PLACES
THAT PEOPLE CAN GO TO ACCESS
VACCINES.
THE FIRST PLACE TO START IS
ALWAYS GOING TO BE WITH YOUR
DOCTOR'S OFFICE.
IN ADDITION, IT'S REALLY A GOOD
IDEA AUTO CHECK WITH LOCAL
PHARMACIES INCLUDING WALGREENS
AND PICK AND SAIF SAVE PHARMACIES AND
IN ADDITION WE HAVE A TOLL FREE
NUMBER PEOPLE CAN CALL FIND OUT
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE
THEY CAN GET THE VACCINE AND WE
HAVE A MAP ON OUR WEBSITE OF ALL
THE SITES ACROSS THE STATE WHERE
THE VACCINE IS AVAILABLE.
>> AND IN FACT THERE ARE MORE
AND MORE OF THESE MASS
VACCINATION SITES BEING STOOD UP
IN WISCONSIN AS WELL.
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
WE HAVE SOME COMMUNITY SITES
THAT ARE NOW OPEN IN ROCK
COUNTY, ONE THAT WE JUST
ANNOUNCED THAT'S GOING TO OPEN
IN RACINE COUNTY IN JUST ANOTHER
WEESK OR SO, A SITE THAT JUST
OPENED IN LA CROSSE AND THERE
WILL BE MORE TO COME.
>> WHAT ARE YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT
THE VARIANTS THAT ARE
CIRCULATING NOW IN WISCONSIN?
>> WE'RE WATCHING THAT VERY
CLOSELY.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT 33 KNOWN
CASES OF THE -- WHAT'S KNOWN AT
U.K. VARIANT, THE MOST COMMON
ONE PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT.
WE STILL HAVE ONE CASE OF THE
SOUTH AFRICAN VARIANT.
WE KNOW THESE VARIANTS ARE MORE
CONTAGIOUS.
THEY SPREAD QUICKLY.
THAT IS WHY BETWEEN GETTING
EVERYONE VAKS VACCINATED AND CONTINUE
TO GO WEAR MASKS, WATCH YOUR
DISTANCE, WASH YOUR HANDS, ALL
OF THAT WILL HELP US.
>> HOW DO YOU EXPECT THE FEDERAL
COVID RELIEF MONEY TO HELP
WISCONSIN'S HEALTH EFFORT IN ALL
OF THIS?
>> THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN WILL
HELP US CONTINUE OUR RESPONSE TO
THE CORONAVIRUS THROUGH TESTING
AND PERSONAL PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT AND VACCINATION.
BUT IT'S ALSO GOING TO HELP US
INVEST IN RECOVERY FOR PEOPLE
WHO HAVE STRUGGLED TO PAY RENT,
FAMILIES STRUGGLING TO FIND
CHILD CARE.
THERE ARE TREMENDOUS INVESTMENTS
COMING OUR WAY.
>> WE