EAU CLAIRE, Wisconsin (WEAU) – A large group of Wisconsin residents will be new candidates for the COVID-19 vaccine, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced Thursday.
Included in the new group are individuals with medical conditions associated with an increased risk of serious illness from COVID-19 ages 16 and older. Medical conditions included in the new eligibility group are:
- 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 conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
- Hypertension or high blood pressure
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) due to solid organ transplant, blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune-weakening drugs
- Liver disease
- Neurological conditions, such as dementia
- Obesity (body mass index [BMI] from 30-39 kg / m2)
- Overweight (BMI of 25-29 kg / m2)
- Pregnancy
- Lung fibrosis (with damaged or scarred lung tissue)
- Severe obesity (BMI 40 kg / m2 or more)
- Sickle cell disease
- Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus
- Thalassemia (a type of blood disorder)
“It is based on the best evidence we have of which medical conditions make a person more vulnerable to serious illness or death,” said DHS Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk.
The newly eligible group will be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting March 29. That does not mean that everyone who qualifies for it will be immediately vaccinated.
‘Please have a little patience. While we know people are eligible, it will take some time in the months of April and early May to reach all of these groups, ”said Lieske Giese, director of the Eau Claire City-County health department.
More than 2 million Wisconsin residents are eligible for this announcement, according to a release by DHS.
Depending on the range of vaccines available, the DHS says they expect the general Wisconsin population to be eligible sometime in May.
Due to the high number of newly eligible individuals, DHS adds that in places where vaccine is scarce, providers can prioritize those considered to be at greater risk among eligible groups.
“Healthcare providers may need to sub-prioritize within those groups and consider factors such as those with severe or unstable conditions, racial or ethnic groups, older age, or people with multiple conditions,” said Willems Van Dijk.
One local provider does not sub-prioritize group 1C. Dr. Ken Johnson, Prevea Health’s Chief Medical Officer, said it is too difficult to determine which of the listed medical conditions deserve priority.
“If I look at the list of medical conditions that are eligible now on March 29, it would be very difficult to stratify which of those people should get a vaccine in which order, so we will continue to give vaccine based on who according to the state qualifies, and then who signs up, ”he said.
Marshfield Clinic said it would still prioritize people already on the waiting list to get vaccinated.
Mayo Clinic said it has not yet decided how it will prioritize people who fall into 1C.
Giese said the Eau Claire City-County health department will not prioritize people in 1C for its vaccine clinics, but the focus now is on vaccinating teachers.
However, Johnson said that people who qualify shouldn’t wait to sign up for an appointment.
“As long as slots are available, I think it’s important for us to give every dose of vaccine I have available,” he said. “So I don’t want to get to the end of the week and have 500 shots that I didn’t give because people were waiting.”
Johnson said the number of appointments and what vaccine people get at Prevea Health is determined by what the state offers each week.
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