Adults 65 and up eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine

Adults over the age of 65, will now be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, beginning Monday, Jan. 25. Currently, frontline healthcare workers, residents in long-term care facilities (nursing homes and assisted living facilities), and police and fire personnel are eligible.

There are approximately 700,000 Wisconsinites who are 65 and older, and Wisconsin currently receives around 70,000 first-dose vaccines, per week, from the federal gov- ernment.

“Older adults have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and prioritizing this population will help save lives,” said Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary- designee Andrea Palm. “The amount of vaccine we get from the federal government, will determine how quickly we can get these groups vaccinated.”

Wisconsinites who are 65 and older, will be able to access the vaccine through their healthcare provider, pharmacy, or local or tribal public health agency. Vaccinating entities with any vaccine on hand, can begin to vaccinate this population prior to Jan. 25, if they have concluded the previously eligible populations.

Those vaccinated directly through their healthcare provider, will typically be contacted to schedule an appointment by their healthcare provider. Residents and staff at long-term care facilities will be vaccinated at their facilities, through the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program, which is a federal public-private partnership.

Skilled nursing facilities began vaccinating in late December 2020, while assisted living facilities are set to begin Jan. 25.

In order to launch the program for nursing homes, the DHS provided 56,900 doses of the Moderna vaccine to pharmacy partners and is providing 140,000 doses for assisted living.