Wisconsin DHS launches new vaccine provider map, but it is confusing

Today the Wisconsin Department of Health Services released a vaccine provider map that is intended to provide more transparency in the provision of COVID-19 vaccines in the state and to help guide people to local vaccine providers. 

The new map displays community and other vaccine providers and codes them by color and shape to indicate who is eligible to receive vaccine at each location. The map as it stands today is slightly confusing about the sites in Dunn County and appears to still be in the process of being populated. For example it lists the Menomonie School District as a provider but provides links to The Medicine Shoppe and Mayo Clinic.  This may be because of an intention to use those providers for district employees when they become eligible next week, but it's confusing and misleading, especially since Mayo is not listed at all individually, despite being a major healthcare provider in the area that is doing vaccinations in Menomonie and Eau Claire. Other media in the state are reporting similar problems with the map. DHS is looking into this, but as it stands the map is less than helpful locally. The map also includes a table of providers that can be filtered by county.

“Wisconsin continues to make great strides in vaccinating people all across the state,” said DHS Interim Secretary Karen Timberlake. “We want to provide as many options as possible for people who are currently eligible to access COVID-19 vaccine. This map will help to illustrate those options.”

At this time, DHS plans to update the map every two weeks with data reported by vaccine providers. Therefore, depending on timing, it is possible that vaccine providers may have already administered or scheduled out their remaining doses. 

All sites shown on the map require pre-scheduled appointments, and availability is not guaranteed. Wisconsinites can visit the DHS COVID-19 vaccination page for more information about options.

In just over two months, Wisconsin vaccine providers have administered more than 1.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine and more than half of Wisconsinites age 65 and older have received at least one dose. Vaccine eligibility is slated to open up on March 1 to next groups, including education and child care workers, people enrolled in Medicaid long-term care programs, some public-facing essential workers, non-frontline essential health care personnel, and facility staff and residents in congregate living settings.