MADISON, Wisconsin (WBAY) – State leaders acknowledged Friday that they have fallen short of their vaccination targets.
Gov. Tony Evers said the Trump administration is taking responsibility.
“It was a slap in the face to the people of Wisconsin, and frankly I have no idea why they made that statement when they knew it wasn’t accurate,” Governor Evers said during a news session to the Department of Health Services media of Wisconsin.
The governor was commenting on a Washington Post report that the federal government had already sent all second doses of Covid-19 vaccine to states in late December. These reserve doses would have allowed states to expand who they could vaccinate.
This week, Gov. Evers said Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar told him Wisconsin would soon get the reserve doses.
“I guess maybe they’re telling the truth because it’s zero,” he said.
DHS on Friday announced new partnerships with pharmacies and the launch of “Covid Mobile Vaccination Equipment.” Both are destined to get more shots in people’s arms.
According to state health officials, they will begin vaccinating long-term care facilities as part of their plan to move to Phase 1B.
DHS Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk said they did not expect to vaccinate everyone in Category 1A before starting 1B.
Several hospital systems in the Green Bay and Fox Valley subway area are launching new clinics to expand vaccines against Covid-19. However, the problem is that there may not be enough supply to circulate.
Willems Van Dijk said the state needs 1.4 million vaccines a month, more than triple the amount it is now receiving, to get the herd immunity by the end of June.
“We are not in a position to open it fully. People who want to be vaccinated and don’t have enough would just crush us and that’s why we are using this very deliberate approach, “said Willems Van Dijk.
Gov. Tony Evers also announced that his administration will establish another public health emergency and extend the state mask requirement for another 60 days.
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