COVID-19 vaccinations to begin for City of Milwaukee workers

Milwaukee gets its first doses of COVID-19 vaccine

The City of Milwaukee is preparing to disseminate its first doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

MILWAUKEE - The City of Milwaukee will be distributing the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, Jan. 7.

Fifty frontline fire department staff, and 50 health department workers will get the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine; 800 more doses will be distributed the following week.

Weeks after the COVID-19 vaccine first rolled out, it is Milwaukee's turn. The city got its first batch of the Pfizer vaccine on Wednesday.

"Those who are closest to the public as well as our laboratory staff who deal with live samples on a regular basis, as well as those at our testing sites," said Marlaina Jackson, Milwaukee's interim health commissioner.

(Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

The doses will be administered at city health department sites for the first round. The next round of 800 doses will be staggered, making sure the Pfizer vaccine doesn't spoil.

"They have a shelf life of 120 hours, if they are distributed within 120 hours, that negates the necessity to have a deep freeze," Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said.

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Jackson said vaccinations will not be a requirement.

Barrett told FOX6 News that about 60% of the Milwaukee Fire Department staff has signed up to be vaccinated, with more expected.