Governor Evers calls for more vaccine for Wisconsin

Governor Tony Evers has called for better availability of the Pfizer vaccine in Wisconsin. Yesterday the state was informed that rather than the 49,725 doses of vaccine that were expected next week the state will only receive 35,100. 

“This is unacceptable. Wisconsin citizens deserve the vaccine the federal government promised,” said Gov. Evers. “Our healthcare workers and long-term care residents need this vaccine that is ready and available. We call on the federal government to send us more vaccine without delay.”

In addition to asking for its fair share of vaccine, Wisconsin officials also called on the federal government to provide clarity on COVID-19 vaccine allocations. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Wisconsin National Guard, and Wisconsin Emergency Management have all been working around the clock to allocate and distribute vaccine throughout the state of Wisconsin. Currently, the federal government informs states of their allocation late in the week for the next week’s shipment. Planning logistics and allocation with only a few days’ notice at a time makes the work incredibly challenging and forecasting timelines impossible. Hospitals and clinics have been anxiously awaiting these doses to help protect their staff that are providing care to Wisconsin residents.

Lower supplies of vaccine for next week are being reported in multiple states, and in fact may be the case in all states. Blame for this is unclear as the government is implying that Pfizer is not supplying enough of the vaccine, but Pfizer insists that they have millions of doses in their warehouses and are waiting for instruction on where to send the drug.