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0000017b-185c-d2e5-a37b-5cff92510000Wisconsin State and Local Government Sources: Wisconsin Department of Health Services: COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019)Oneida County Health DepartmentVilas County Health DepartmentLincoln County Health DepartmentMarathon County Health Department Langlade County Health DepartmentWestern Upper Peninsula Health DepartmentForest County Health DepartmentFederal Government Sources:Centers for Disease Control (CDC)Risk Assessment PageSituation Summary PageState Department Travel AdvisoriesWorld Health Organization (WHO)WHO Question and Answer Page

Oneida County Health Department in Line to Start Using State COVID-19 Vaccine Registry System

Iron Mountain VA Medical Center

More than 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Wisconsin.  

The state is among the top in the nation for distributing the vaccine.  The system hasn’t been without its glitches.

One issue has been how and where people sign up to the vaccine.

Right now, vaccinators each have their own system for getting people signed up.

Hospitals and health department usually have call lines and website set up to take people’s information and either put them on waitlist or schedule an appointment.

The Department of Health Services is starting to rollout a statewide system that should help with this issue.

Oneida County Health Department Director Linda Conlon said it will be similar to the format they current use but says the new system will offer more support to her department.

“It is a system that many local health departments are going to use across the state, so therefor there’s going to be more support for any issues that arise or any glitches in the system. Currently we’re having to work through those ourselves and we’re having to keep the system together to make it work,” said Conlon.

While the Department of Health Services website says Oneida County Health Department was to be part of the test rollout of the system last week, Conlon says it’s still limited to a few health departments that are working to smooth out the system.

“Health departments that working with the state have been meeting daily, going over the system, recommending changes, and recommending different paths that of the system be updated or upgraded,” said Conlon.

The Department of Health Services plans to make the online registry available March 1 to participating local and tribal health departments.

It then plans to expand it to all vaccinators in April.

Conlon is hopeful the new system will be of help as more people become eligible for the vaccine.

Educators and childcare workers are now eligible for the vaccine and are a top priority among the group that also includes people who work in the food supply chain, utility and communications workers, and some non-frontline healthcare workers.

The challenge for vaccinators now is getting those people vaccinated, while still getting through those 65 and older, and getting everyone their second dose.

Conlon said the hardest part is the inconsistency of the amount of the vaccine they’re getting.  One week they could get 100 doses and then 900 the next.

“People shouldn’t be surprised if they have to wait for their vaccine, even though they are in that new eligible group because we again, are not getting a lot of vaccine. So therefore, we’re having to go through the waitlist, and the 65 plus still need to get vaccinated, so it could be a little bit of wait even if you’re already eligible,” said Conlon.

About 60 percent of people 65 and older in Oneida County have gotten their first dose.

Conlon still said there is demand for the vaccine in that group.

Katie Thoresen is WXPR's News Director/Vice President.
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