FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2/06/21
CONTACT: Susan Kunferman, Wood County Health Department Director/Health Officer
(715) 421-8911
COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Update and Tips to Safely Watch the Super Bowl
Wisconsin Rapids, WI – Wood County Health Department continues to vaccinate eligible groups at drive thru community-based clinics. Appointments are required and these clinics are not yet open to the public. Currently, eligible groups include health care workers, long term care staff and residents, EMS, police and fire personnel and adults age 65 and older. If you are currently an eligible recipient and want to get the COVID-19 vaccine, fill out an interest form online at Wood County, WI COVID-19 Interest Form Sign Up. If you are not able to fill out the online interest form, call 715-421-8931. As the vaccine becomes available, you will be contacted to have an appointment scheduled for you. This interest form may be removed once a more sophisticated system is in place to schedule vaccination appointments in the future. Only complete the online interest form once or leave one voicemail. Do not do both options. Please do not contact the South Wood County Airport or Marshfield Fire Department for vaccine clinic questions.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has a tentative timeline of March 1 for future eligible groups; however, we anticipate it taking longer to fully vaccinate those 65+ and do not plan to move into other groups until those in this higher risk population have been vaccinated. To learn more about eligible groups, visit COVID-19: Vaccine Phases and Eligibility - Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Weekly, Wood County Health Department requests vaccine from the State of Wisconsin and is notified of the number of doses that will be received the following week. Once that notification gets to the department, staff reach out to eligible individuals on the waiting list, from both interest forms and phone calls, to schedule appointments. Appointments will be scheduled in the order the forms and calls were received. Over 4,000 people have contacted our department interested in a vaccine. At the current rate the vaccine is coming from the State of Wisconsin, it could take a few months to vaccinate everyone on the list. Please be patient.
Demand for the COVID-19 vaccine continues to exceed the supply of vaccines distributed each week. Last week the Wood County Health Department requested 400 doses of vaccine from the State of Wisconsin and received only 200 doses. This week 800 doses were requested and 200 doses are expected to be received. The Federal government owns and controls the distribution of vaccines to the States. As of February 4, 9,222 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to Wood County residents. Vaccine data is available at COVID-19: Vaccine Data | Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Due to the highly transmissible United Kingdom and South Africa variants and most of the public not being vaccinated yet, the risk for COVID-19 spread is still very high. It is important to continue to wear a mask, physically distance yourself from others not in your household, wash your hands frequently and limit travel. In light of the NFL Super Bowl this weekend, our best public health advice is to watch the game at home and only with people you live with to prevent the spread of COVID-19. You can still connect with others by doing a virtual call or starting an instant message chain.
Please do not call the Wood County Health Department regarding the COVID-19 vaccine process unless you are an eligible recipient at this time (health care workers, long term care staff and residents, police and fire personnel, adults age 65 and older). To stay informed on COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and county-level statistics, please watch for future press releases and visit the Wood County Health Department Facebook page or website. If you have questions or immediate needs related to COVID-19, call 2-1-1 or text COVID-19 to 211-211.
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