Wisconsin's COVID-19 vaccine distribution gains steam

MILWAUKEE - New data show Wisconsin has nearly doubled the number of weekly COVID-19 vaccine doses administered during the second half of January.

From more COVID-19 vaccine supply to more people becoming eligible for their shots, Wisconsin health officials caution: Comparing the state's vaccination numbers to other states isn't a complete picture of how Wisconsin is doing.

"We're on a roll. We're moving forward, we promised you we would and we are there," said Julie Willems Van Dijk, Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) deputy secretary.

State health experts attribute the sharp increase to more doses being available, as well as greater demand. Last week, Wisconsin distributed 116,000 doses -- compared to the usual amount in the 70,000s. Residents age 65 and older became eligible for their shots.

"The big credit goes to our vaccinators," Willems Van Dijk said. "I think we did that, both by opening up who they could vaccinate, by supporting them with as much vaccine as we could squeeze out of the system, and we have done it through a population that is eager to get the vaccine."

According to data from the CDC, Wisconsin's vaccine rollout now ranks 28th compared to other states after ranking among the worst in the country previously. Gov. Tony Evers and health leaders have continually defended the state's distribution efforts, noting that the CDC information lags behind what's happening in real-time.

"We have been working with the CDC to increase the accuracy of their data reporting, and the discrepancies identified will be addressed both retroactively and going forward," said Willems Van Dijk.

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Dr. Matt Anderson with UW Health urges state and local vaccinators now to work together to create a more centralized and efficient vaccination system.

"You’ve seen a lot of groups standing up and spending time developing their processes," Anderson said. "We should be looking for ways to simplify the process."

Wisconsin is currently working with Microsoft to launch a statewide-only vaccine registry. The software will go live in 10 communities to start with the week of Feb. 15.