County health officials urge patience

Health department limited by state disbursements, staffing for vaccine efforts

A state-down approach in the distribution of CVOID-19 vaccines isn’t doing Taylor County any favors in regard to vaccination efforts.

The county has come under fire from some residents recently for ranking near the bottom based on the percentage of county population that has been vaccinated so far. County health director Patty Krug cautions that a colored on-line map doesn’t tell the complete story, noting there are factors behind the scenes that influence the vaccination rates.

The county currently maintains a vaccine waiting list with a dedicated phone number (715-965-8830) for people who are eligible for the vaccine to call. Krug said they have been able to stay on top of that list and getting people in for a vaccination clinic within a week of getting a call. As of Tuesday, 40% of residents 65 years and older have been immunized and 4,558 doses of the vaccine have been administered in total here.

“When you look at the color on the map, it doesn’t reflect what is going on in Taylor County,” Krug said.

Krug said there are a number of factors that influence the area vaccination efforts. The largest player in the process is the state which governs how much, and what types of vaccines are distributed. Krug explained the counties all place requests for vaccines, but receive whatever the state sends.

“We are limited by how much we ask for and how much we get,” she said, noting there was a recent week where every county got 100 doses regardless of what they asked for.

Another factor that impacts the overall rates is the area’s large Amish population, which accounts for about 20% of the county’s population. This is a population which Krug notes historically does not get vaccinations. She said this can be seen in the childhood immunization rates for the county which are usually between 60% and 63%.

Another major factor impacting the distribution of vaccines here is the comparative lack of vaccinators compared to other areas. The four nurses in the county’s health department have many other public health duties to do in addition to running vaccination clinics. Aspirus is also providing vaccinations for the area, but as Krug notes some other areas such as in Price County have more providers offering vaccines.

Also impacting the overall vaccination rates in the county are the overall acceptance rates of people within eligible groups to get the vaccine. Health officials note that 30% or less of the eligible group populations have signed up for vaccines through the health department. At the same time, there are those in other groups who are clamoring to get the vaccine and are chafing at having to wait for it.

Under state rules, running a COVID-19 vaccination clinic requires having an ambulance personnel on site as well as law enforcement for security purposes. Krug praised ambulance administrator Jeff Nuernberger and police chief Chad Liske for their help in setting up clinics.

Krug said of the vaccines the department has administered there have been a very small number of people who have had severe adverse reactions. For those who have had histories of adverse reactions to shots, or who have underlying medical conditions such as pregnancies, public health nurse Michelle Armbrust said the county urges people to consult with their medical provider to see if the vaccine is right for them. “We don’t make those decisions for them,” Armbrust said.

Krug said she expects the percentage vaccinated in the county to increase with the opening of other groups to receive the vaccine. She said clinics are being held for Rib Lake and Gilman teachers this week with Medford School District and the area parochial schools next week. Krug is optimistic that with more vaccine doses becoming available at the state level eligibility will open to more people. She said the large vaccination sites that are being set up in regional locations around the state will also have a role with projections to have the sites available for 2,000 vaccinations a day. Armbrust said many people see the light at the end of the train wreck and they want it to be over.

“It has been a long year for everyone,” Armbrust said.