[ad_1]
MADISON (WKOW) – State health officials announced Thursday that more than two million people with pre-existing health conditions will become eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Wisconsin on March 29.
The new groups were announced Thursday in a press release from the Department of Health Services (DHS).
“Wisconsin continues to be a national leader in immunization and we are delighted to open up eligibility to more Wisconsinites,” Gov. Tony Evers said in a written statement. “I know this past year has been difficult for everyone and I want to thank people for stepping up 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 who are 16 years of age and older 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 syndrome
- Heart problems, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
- Hypertension or high blood pressure
- Immunosuppressed condition (weakened immune system) due to a solid organ transplant, blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, the use of corticosteroids or the use of other weakening drugs immune system
- Liver disease
- Neurological conditions, such as dementia
- Obesity (body mass index [BMI] from 30 to 39 kg / m2)
- Overweight (BMI 25 to 29 kg / m2)
- Pregnancy
- Pulmonary fibrosis (having damaged or scarred lung tissue)
- Severe obesity (BMI 40 kg / m2 or more)
- Sickle cell anemia
- Diabetes mellitus type 1 or 2
- Thalassemia (a type of blood disorder)
“The three available COVID-19 vaccines are incredibly safe and effective in preventing infection, serious illness and death,” said Karen Timberlake, acting secretary of DHS. “These vaccines save lives.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk said the state may open up vaccine eligibility to many more Wisconsinians as it expects to receive hundreds of thousands of additional doses per week.
“We have seen a significant increase in the number of vaccines over the past two months and we will continue to see this increase, according to our federal partners,” said Van Dijk. “That means we don’t have to do this continuous staging group by group by group.”
The state has administered more than 200,000 doses in each of the past five weeks. Van Dijk said in a press call on Thursday that the number would rise to 400,000-500,000 doses per week.
Regarding the challenge of vaccinating so many people and categorizing a wide range of health conditions, DHS officials said on Thursday that they are recommending that vaccinators create their own sub-levels of groups among those with pre-existing conditions. .
Mo Kharbat, vice president of pharmaceutical services for SSM Health, said earlier in the week that the healthcare system is already exploring the idea, citing the idea of starting with those 55 and over as an example.
The rest of the audience may have to wait
Van Dijk said that given current vaccine supply projections, after a sufficient number of people in Group 1C receive the vaccine, the rest of the general public would become eligible in May.
“Everyone will be eligible in May and this is the most important message I want everyone to hear right now,” Van Dijk said.
Van Dijk said employers should start planning vaccination clinics to vaccinate their employees now. This will be part of a larger effort to ensure that vaccinators across the state are able to handle a supply that DHS officials expect demand to soon equal or exceed the demand. request.
“We need everyone on the bridge because this will be the point where there will be a lot of vaccines and a lot of demand and we need a lot of vaccinators to deliver it,” Van Dijk said.
Thursday’s announcement disappointed those in a number of areas 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, the hard-working and dedicated ‘shop’ employees of manufacturing companies have not been able to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Kurt Bauer, president of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce in a press release. “It’s just simply unfair.”
The CDC’s recommendations included in Phase 1C people working in transport and logistics, housing construction and communications.
All of these workers will become eligible along with the rest of the general public in May.
“If you are lucky enough not to have one of these conditions, you will be lucky enough to be included in May,” Van Dijk said. “I know we’re encouraging about the vaccine supply, but we still don’t have 5.8 million vaccines or even 4.6 million vaccines, which are all adults.”
[ad_2]
Source link