Wisconsin's vaccine rollout has scored well. Experts say mass sites, clear messages can help next phase

Wisconsin’s rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has been among the best in the nation by some measures. As the state enters a new phase with millions more people eligible and millions more becoming eligible in coming weeks , health leaders say it's in position to continue to be a leader.

The state has administered more than 2.7 million doses . More than 29% of Wisconsinites have received at least one dose. Wisconsin has consistently been at or near the top of all U.S. states when it comes to using its federally allotted vaccine supplies — getting shots into arms rather than letting them sit in storage.

On Friday, March 26, National Public Radio's data tracking tool showed that Wisconsin had used 88% of its vaccine allotment, the highest rate of any state in the nation .

The rollout even earned rare bipartisan praise last week when Republican legislative leaders said the effort has been successful after some "false starts ."

Wisconsin Public Radio asked health experts and state leaders to share what they think has helped the rollout so far — and what the challenges in the next phase of COVID-19 vaccinations will be.

The state certified more than 2,000 vaccinators for the effort — though especially in early weeks when supplies were low, nowhere near that many actually operated. But it has allowed the state to scale up as supplies increased.

"Right from the get-go, we were able to work with all our health care institutions" to get state-certified vaccinators ready, Gov. Tony Evers said in an interview with WPR.

In Bayfield County, which has been among the most successful counties in the state at vaccinating its population, a "history of preparing for and carrying out mass vaccination plans in our county" helped the health department to lead local efforts, Bayfield County health officer Sara Wartman said Friday, March 26, on WPR's "The Morning Show ." "We've routinely done mass vaccine clinics every year with the schools for practice for this very same thing."

"We are communicating on a regular basis with our local public health departments and our schools," said Tammy Simon, Marshfield Clinic's vice president of patient safety. "We partner with public health to understand what their capacity is" and respond to areas of need.

"There's a great deal of history and longevity with different community organizations," said Sharla Baenen, chief operating officer for Bellin Health. "It's been natural for organizations to come together."

Baenen noted that the state's Department of Health Services also holds health systems accountable, checking in when data shows that not all of the available vaccine has been used.

Unlike many health services, there are no insurance-imposed restrictions on who can get shots or from where.

"People don't need to worry where they receive vaccine based on their insurance, or (lack of) insurance," Simon said. "That is super important, and that's one message we worked really hard to get out to our community members."

That also means that the mass vaccination sites operating or being set up around the state — at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee , at Lambeau Field in Green Bay and elsewhere — aren't only serving people from those areas.

Wisconsin Public Radio can be heard locally on 91.3 KUWS-FM and at wpr.org .

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