Wisconsin health officials lay out who will get it first

MADISON (WKOW) — The Wisconsin Department of Health Services released its plans for how to distribute COVID-19 vaccinations when one or more should become available.

DHS’ designs came in a two-page document released Monday.

The plan imagines a potential vaccine rolling out in three phases.

While only a limited supply of a vaccine is available, the state’s health agency will focus on delivering it to residents of long-term care or assisted living facilities, healthcare workers treating people who have COVID-19, those 65 and older and other essential workers.

As the vaccine becomes more widely available, DHS will deliver it to more “critical populations.” As the supply of the vaccine exceeds demand, it will be given to the general public.

Wisconsin will participate in the federal pharmacy partner program which pairs long-term care and assisted living facilities with a pharmacy approved to administer vaccinations, according to the document. The pharmacies will travel to the long-term care and assisted living facilities to administer the vaccines.

Local and tribal public health departments will also help the state in getting the vaccine to “critical populations.”

As more doses of the vaccine make it to Wisconsin, commercial pharmacies, healthcare systems and other providers will be allowed to administer the vaccine to the public.

Anyone getting a potential vaccine, the document says, will likely need a second dose administered between three and four weeks after the first to gain immunity to the coronavirus. It will be the responsibility of the companies and organizations giving the vaccines to remind patients about getting the second dose.

“All vaccinators must enroll through the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR), participate in trainings, actively manage inventories, and promote vaccine availability and access to the public,” the document says.

The full guidance document from DHS is below: