Milwaukee County workers vaccine compliance at 96%: officials

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee County officials say 96% of county employees subject to the county’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate are vaccinated against the coronavirus or have received an exemption. That is as of Sunday, Dec. 12.

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Breakdown of key metrics (per news release)

• 87% (3,055) of employees subject to the mandate have submitted proof of vaccination;
• 9% (311) of employees subject to the mandate have received or are in the process of receiving an exemption;
• 1% (35) of employees subject to the mandate have had vaccine form or exemption forms denied and are being encouraged to resubmit; and
• 3% (104) of employees who are subject to the mandate have not yet submitted proof of vaccination or an exemption request.

Approximately 15% of staff who submitted proof of vaccination received their first dose after the mandate was put in place on Sept. 3.

"Milwaukee County’s employee vaccination rate is encouraging and should be a signal to the broader community about how seriously we take the health and wellbeing of our employees and those we serve," said County Executive David Crowley in a news release.

Milwaukee County’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate for staff was issued in September and went into effect on Oct. 1. The mandate requires all current employees to demonstrate verification of their COVID-19 vaccination or receive an approved exemption in order to avoid consequences. To encourage vaccinations, the county is offering a number of incentives to compliant employees through the end of the year, including additional paid time off and cash bonuses. 

As outlined in the administrative order, the terms and conditions of the vaccine mandate do not currently apply to employee-members of the Milwaukee County public safety unions. Additionally, Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) employees are not subject to the County mandate, as they are not County employees. However, Milwaukee County strongly encourages both groups to promote the vaccination of their workforce.