Good news is likely to arrive for a large number of Wisconsin residents this week as state health officials prepare to announce who will be eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Phase 1C.
Appointed Wisconsin Department of Health Services Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk during a press conference last Friday they plan to post information about who will be included in the Phase 1C group sometime this week.
“Sounds like a pretty simple group, right? People 16 to 64 with pre-existing conditions. But part of the decision-making is to think about what pre-existing conditions and really use CDC research to see where there is the strongest evidence on what conditions contribute to COVID-19, ”Willems Van Dijk said in the call.
About 2 million Wisconsin residents could be eligible for the vaccine in phase 1C, the largest expansion of people eligible for the vaccine since the state began receiving doses of the vaccine.
The CDC guidelines on who should be included in Phase 1C are detailed. In general, the recommended industries are essential workers not included in phases 1A or 1B.
The broad industries include various modes of transportation, taxi services, warehouses, restaurants, gas stations, utilities, construction and real estate, telecommunications, computing, news, waste management, courts and legal advice, libraries and religious groups, among dozens of ‘other industries.
As Willems Van Dijk said during the call, his priority is to include people in 1C who are susceptible to the virus due to pre-existing conditions.
The call from whoever is part of Group 1C is for Wisconsin health officials. As outlined in the Department of Homeland Security’s COVID-19 advisory memorandum last December, the federal government is playing an advisory role during the vaccine launch. States have the responsibility to decide the order of who gets the vaccine.
Willems Van Dijk said in previous briefings that people with underlying chronic illnesses could be included in group 1C. DHS decided to break with CDC guidelines earlier this month when it chose not to prioritize people with chronic health conditions in Phase 1B.
Phase 1B eligible people include child care workers, grocery store workers, public transportation workers, and people enrolled in Medicaid long-term care programs.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee County says it is working hard to get doses of vaccines for those who are eligible and want them. You can see the latest information on this effort here.
Top-notch essential workers, people participating in Medicaid long-term care programs, and non-front-line essential health workers living or working in Milwaukee can now make online appointments at milwaukee.gov/ covidvax or by calling 414-286-6800.
Report a bug or error message // Submit a news tip