MADISON, Wisconsin (WMTV) – On Thursday, the Department of Health Services unveiled new guidelines for determining who would be eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine when eligibility was expanded later this month.
Unlike previous rounds, which were determined primarily by age or occupation, the latter is based solely on medical history, more specifically if someone has a disease associated with an increased risk of serious illness if they contracted COVID-19.
To qualify for the latter expansion, a person should have at least one of the 20 medical conditions included in a list published by the agency on Thursday. DHS estimates that more than two million people in Wisconsin would qualify.
Three of the conditions listed are related to body mass index (BMI), a statistic that is often cited when determining whether someone is overweight or obese. With the new metrics, anyone with a BMI above 25 kg / m2 would be eligible to receive the vaccine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a tool to help people estimate their BMI by entering their height and weight. He defines a BMI between the ages of 25 and 30 as “overweight,” while anything over 30 is “obese”. Also, for DHS lists, a number over 40 is considered “severe obesity.”
Here you will find the complete list of medical conditions that would determine if someone is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
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