MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) - Since vaccinations started 36 weeks and one day ago, health care workers have administered more than 6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) on Monday reported a total 6,018,147 doses. That includes vaccines given to Wisconsinites and out-of-state workers, such as workers or students from other states who are employed or study here. Wisconsin was less than 10,000 shots short of the milestone on Friday.
“This is a tremendous milestone,” Gov. Evers said in a written statement Monday afternoon, “and we couldn’t have gotten here without the hard work and dedication of everyone involved. Whether you’re administering shots, scheduling appointments, answering phones, or sanitizing workstations, thank you.”
The DHS reports 53.9% of Wisconsinites received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, which is 3,138,889 people. That includes 50.7% of the state’s population, or 2,953,507 people, who completed their vaccine series -- getting either one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine or both doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
These percentages include a portion of the population that’s ineligible for any COVID-19 vaccine: children under 12. Looking at only the adult population, 64.8% of men and women in Wisconsin received at least one dose, and 61.3% completed their vaccinations.
This milestone comes as the Pfizer vaccine received full FDA approval. Local health care professionals hope this eases vaccine hesitancy.
“I really do hope for those who’ve been waiting for this that today is a day to schedule your vaccine, that’s my number one hope because it’s never too late to become vaccinated,” said Dr. Ashok Rai, President and CEO of Prevea Health.
UW-Health Dr. Jeff Pothof believes the approval will lead to more vaccine mandates.
“This now means that this vaccine is just like any other vaccine that’s been out there, whether it’s the influenza vaccine, the MMR or the chickenpox vaccine. This has the same level of endorsement, the same level of rigor and review that those vaccines have gotten,” said Dr. Pothof. “I think you could see more of those organizations now feeling comfortable saying you know what, ‘we weren’t going to mandate it under emergency use, but we are going to mandate it now because this is no different than other vaccines.”
The FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine is only for those age 16 and older. The Pfizer vaccine remains in its ‘Emergency Use Authorization’ for those ages 12-15.
“The fact that this vaccine is fully approved for 16 and older, makes it even more likely that it will be approved for these other age groups. It’s just a matter of crunching the data and looking at the studies,” said Dr. Pothof.
As we head into the school year, it’s worth pointing out that 40% of children 12 to 15 years old have received at least their first dose of the vaccine, and 16- and 17-year-olds have nearly caught up to young adults in the percentage to get their first shot (47.0% to 47.4%) even though the younger teens can only receive the two-dose Pfizer vaccine, the only vaccine approved for children under 18. The vaccine was approved for 16- and 17-year-olds in April; 12- to 15-year-olds became eligible in mid-May.
The Appleton Area School District is considering changing its policy of optional masking to make masks mandatory to start the school year. The Oshkosh Area School District announced Friday it’s making face masks mandatory for all students, staff and visitors in schools and district buildings at least through October 1. Both school districts cited the rising number of cases within their district.
Wisconsinites getting COVID-19 vaccine, by age group
- 12-15: 40.0% received vaccine/32.9% fully vaccinated
- 16-17: 47.0% received vaccine/41.5% fully vaccinated
- 18-24: 47.4% received vaccine/42.8% fully vaccinated
- 25-34: 51.7% received vaccine/47.5% fully vaccinated
- 35-44: 59.6% received vaccine/55.5% fully vaccinated
- 45-54: 61.5% received vaccine/57.9% fully vaccinated
- 55-64: 71.1% received vaccine/68.1% fully vaccinated
- 65 and up: 84.5% received vaccine/82.4% fully vaccinated
Wisconsinites getting COVID-19 vaccine, by gender
- All males: 50.2% received vaccine/47.1% fully vaccinated (includes population under 12 who are ineligible for a vaccine)
- All females: 57.0% received vaccine/53.8% fully vaccinated (includes population under 12 who are ineligible for a vaccine)
- Only men (18 and up): 60.6% received vaccine/57.2% fully vaccinated
- Only women (18 and up): 68.2% received vaccine/64.7% fully vaccinated
Blacks in Wisconsin still lag far behind other racial groups in Wisconsin. The DHS numbers show barely 30% received at least one shot, and 27% completed their vaccination series. Asians lead all racial groups in the percentage of their population getting vaccinated.
Wisconsinites getting COVID-19 vaccine, by race or ethnicity*
- American Indian: 37.7% received vaccine/33.7% fully vaccinated
- Asian: 53.8% received vaccine/50.2% fully vaccinated
- Black: 30.7% received vaccine/27.1% fully vaccinated
- White: 49.6% received vaccine/47.1% fully vaccinated
- Hispanic: 42.3% received vaccine/37.4% fully vaccinated
- Non-hispanic: 51.8% received vaccine/49.0% fully vaccinated
*5.6% of records reported race unknown, 5.0% of records reported race as “Other.” 5.1% of records did not report ethnicity.
Wisconsin saw another week-to-week increase in vaccinations last week. Preliminary numbers say 55,662 doses were administered the week of August 15, the most in a week since 75,481 doses in mid-June.
Monday afternoon, Gov. Tony Evers announced an incentive program offering $100 to people who get their first vaccine shot (or, if they get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, their only shot) between now and Labor Day. The governor admitted he was reluctant to make such an offer but was convinced by the success of the incentive program in Michigan. See our separate article for details. Announcing the program in Oshkosh, the governor said we are no longer fighting the COVID-19 virus, we’re in a fight against its delta variant and any other variant that evolves from the virus. Current vaccinations have shown to be effective against the delta variant, significantly reducing the risk of symptoms or death to a fraction of what people who aren’t fully vaccinated suffer, state health officials reported last week with a side-by-side comparison, even though their viral load might be the same.
“Layering protection by getting vaccinated and wearing masks in schools and in public, indoor settings is critical to stopping the spread of the delta variant,” Health Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake said.
VACCINATIONS BY COUNTY POPULATION (MONDAY)
| County (Population) (Health region) | % of population (change from previous report) | Completed % of population (change from previous report) |
|---|---|---|
| Brown (264,542) (NE) | 54.3% (+0.2) | 51.2% (+0.3) |
| Calumet (50,089) (FV) | 48.8% (+0.2) | 46.3% (+0.3) |
| Dodge (87,839) | 43.6% (+0.1) | 40.9% (+0.2) |
| Door (27,668) (NE) | 68.8% (+0.1) | 66.0% (+0.2) |
| Fond du Lac (103,403) (SE) | 46.5% (+0.1) | 43.8% (+0.2) |
| Forest (9,004) | 44.2% (+0.0) | 41.9% (+0.1) |
| Florence (4,295) (NE) | 45.9% (+0.1) | 43.9% (+0.0) |
| Green Lake (18,913) (FV) | 47.6% (+0.2) | 45.0% (+0.2) |
| Kewaunee (20,434) (NE) | 44.0% (+0.1) | 41.6% (+0.1) |
| Manitowoc (78,981) (NE) | 51.2% (+0.2) | 48.2% (+0.3) |
| Marinette (40,350) (NE) | 44.9% (+0.2) | 42.1% (+0.2) |
| Menominee (4,556) (FV) | 61.2% (+0.7) | 52.6% (+0.3) |
| Oconto (37,930) (NE) | 45.2% (+0.1) | 42.8% (+0.1) |
| Outagamie (187,885) (FV) | 54.1% (+0.2) | 51.0% (+0.3) |
| Shawano (40,899) (FV) | 40.0% (+0.2) | 37.5% (+0.2) |
| Sheboygan (115,340) (SE) | 52.4% (+0.1) | 49.6% (+0.3) |
| Waupaca (50,990) (FV) | 46.6% (+0.2) | 44.1% (+0.3) |
| Waushara (24,443) (FV) | 38.2% (+0.1) | 36.4% (+0.1) |
| Winnebago (171,907) (FV) | 51.8% (+0.1) | 49.0% (+0.2) |
| NORTHEAST REGION (474,200) (NE) | 249,256 (52.6%) (+0.2) | 235,334 (49.6%) (+0.2) |
| FOX VALLEY REGION (549,682) (FV) | 276,435 (50.3%) (+0.2) | 260,889 (47.5%) (+0.3) |
| WISCONSIN (5,822,434) | 3,138,889 (53.9%) (+0.2) | 2,953,507 (50.7%) (+0.2) |
Cases, deaths and hospitalizations
Since Friday, the DHS reports a net increase of almost 3,000 new coronavirus cases (2,935) and 181 more people hospitalized for COVID-19 treatment.
Five more deaths were reported to the state since Friday. These included two deaths in Manitowoc County and one in Sheboygan County. The state is averaging 7 deaths per day; the DHS only counts deaths that occurred in the past 30 days towards the 7-day average. Wisconsin’s death toll is 7,521. The death rate slipped again and is now 1.16% of all cases proving fatal, down from 1.20% at the beginning of August; health officials credit vaccinations for the number of deaths no longer keeping pace with new cases.
Those new cases are up to an average 1,290 per day compared to 1,241 in the last report on Friday. Since February 5, 2020, that’s a total 647,489 people ever diagnosed with COVID-19 in the state. The state no longer reports the number of recovered cases -- the definition of “recovered” was 30 days passing since their diagnosis, even though some severe cases might still be hospitalized or some COVID-19 patients continue to experience symptoms, such as brain fog or fatigue. Instead, the state wants the emphasis on the trend of current cases, which right now continues trending up. The state says an average 7.1% of all tests in the last 7-day period came back positive (the positivity rate); that’s holding steady from Friday.
Taking new admissions, discharges and deaths into account, the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) reports there were 792 COVID-19 patients in hospitals around the state Monday, with 243 of them in intensive care units. That’s 15 more people in ICU and 41 more patients overall since Friday. The WHA says 64 of those patients are in Northeast health care region hospitals, including 22 in ICU; that’s 3 more in ICU and 2 more overall. Fox Valley hospitals are treating 67 patients, 13 more than Friday, including 11 in intensive care, which is 4 more than a few days ago.
The Wisconsin National Guard and local health departments are offering vaccination clinics in Winnebago, Outagamie and Calumet counties each week through September 2nd. No appointment, no ID, and no insurance are needed. These clinics offer the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, and some may have the Johnson & Johnson vaccine -- that’s always subject to change based on availability. Children 12 to 17 need to be with a parent or guardian, and they’re only eligible for the Pfizer vaccine; they’ll be eligible for their second dose in 3 weeks and are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after that.
- TUESDAYS - Fox Crossing Fire Department, 1326 Cold Spring Rd., 2:30 P.M. - 5:30 P.M.
- WEDNESDAYS - Black Creek Fire Department, W5200 Cty Rd B, 9:30 A.M. - 12:30 P.M.
- WEDNESDAYS - Shiocton-Bovina Fire Department, W7740 Pine St., Bovina, 2:30 P.M. - 5:30 P.M.
- THURSDAYS - New Holstein Community Center, 1725 Silver Moon Ln., 9:30 A.M. - 12:30 P.M.
- THURSDAYS - Brillion Community Center, 120 Center St., 2:30 P.M. - 5:30 P.M.
The Winnebago County Health Department also announced COVID-19 vaccination clinics on August 24, 27 and 31 at the Oshkosh Public Library at 106 Washington Ave. These are walk-in clinics; no appointment is needed. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be offered. The Winnebago County Health Department is encouraging everyone to get vaccinated as the school year starts.
MONDAY’S COUNTY CASE AND DEATH TOTALS (increase since the last report is in bold) **
- Brown – 33,267 cases (+92) (259 deaths)
- Calumet – 6,113 cases (+20) (51 deaths)
- Dickinson (Mich.)* - 2,473 cases (+5) (59 deaths)
- Dodge – 12,473 cases (+62) (178 deaths)
- Door – 2,740 cases (+8) (30 deaths)
- Florence - 460 cases (13 deaths)
- Fond du Lac – 13,169 cases (+42) (133 deaths)
- Forest - 1,022 cases (+4) (24 deaths)
- Gogebic (Mich.)* - 1,138 cases (+3) (24 deaths)
- Green Lake - 1,708 cases (+6) (21 deaths)
- Iron (Mich.)* – 1,028 cases (+7) (43 deaths)
- Kewaunee – 2,459 cases (+6) (28 deaths)
- Langlade - 2,140 cases (+14) (35 deaths)
- Manitowoc – 7,916 cases (+24) (79 deaths) (+2)
- Marinette - 4,385 cases (+16) (68 deaths)
- Menominee (Mich.)* - 1,898 cases (+11) (42 deaths)
- Menominee – 832 cases (+4) (11 deaths)
- Oconto – 4,733 cases (+13) (63 deaths)
- Outagamie – 21,644 cases (+74) (227 deaths)
- Shawano – 4,950 cases (+9) (73 deaths)
- Sheboygan – 14,488 cases (+22) (157 deaths) (+1)
- Waupaca – 5,188 cases (+26) (125 deaths)
- Waushara – 2,288 cases (+3) (36 deaths)
- Winnebago – 19,161 cases (+85) (206 deaths)
* The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Wisconsin Hospital Association do not publish updates on weekends. Update: Michigan Department of Health updates information on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
** Cases and deaths are from state COVID-19 reports, which may differ from local health department numbers. The Wisconsin DHS reports cases from all health departments within a county’s boundaries, including tribal, municipal and county health departments; county websites may not. Also, public health departments update their data at various times, whereas the DHS freezes the numbers it receives by the same time every day to compile the afternoon report.
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