MADISON, Wis.—In case you missed it, yesterday the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that half of Wisconsin residents 16 and older have received at least 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine. This news came on the same day the United States hit the 200 million doses milestone, hitting the ambitious Biden-Harris administration goal one week earlier than anticipated. The American Rescue Plan, signed into law by President Biden, includes $20 billion for vaccine distribution, including $7.5 billion to set up vaccination sites across the country, including $59 million for community health centers across Wisconsin.
“This is a significant step in helping Wisconsin workers, families, and businesses recover from the pandemic’s devastation,” said Meghan Roh, Opportunity Wisconsin program director. “The American Rescue Plan gave a big boost to vaccinations across the Badger State and we are incredibly grateful to our elected officials like Senator Baldwin who fought on behalf of all of us for this critical investment. Unfortunately, instead of fighting for us, folks like Senator Johnson and Wisconsin’s Republican Congressional representatives failed us. To make matters worse, Senator Johnson is now wearing his obstruction like a badge of pride. Wisconsinites deserve leaders who will work on behalf of all of us.”
During a WCLO radio interview Monday, Senator Ron Johnson bragged that he stood “in the way of getting checks to everybody,” referring to earlier this year when he tried to block the $1,400 relief checks sent to Wisconsin families as part of the American Rescue Plan. The American Rescue Plan sent up to $1,400 to Wisconsin adults and dependents who needed it the most, totaling over $7.8 billion for Wisconsin families, helping 4 million adults and 1.5 million children in the state.
Last week, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley was joined by Opportunity Wisconsin and BLOC as they gathered to celebrate the American Rescue Plan and its major boost to vaccine distribution by handing out free cookies from Canfora Bakery at the Kosciuszko Park and Community Center vaccine site.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “More Than 50% of Wisconsin Residents 16 and Over Have Received at Least One COVID-19 Vaccine Dose”
April 21, 2021
By Drake Bentley and Mary Spicuzza
Half of Wisconsin residents 16 and older have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, a top state health official said Wednesday.
“If I look at the 16 and over population, it’s 51% approximately — of the people who are eligible,” Julie Willems Van Dijk, deputy secretary for the state Department of Health Services, said in an interview with the Journal Sentinel. “So we’re moving along on that population.”
But she added that the state typically considers the total population, not just those who are currently eligible for COVID-19 vaccine, “because that’s really what you need for community immunity.”
By that measure, nearly 41% of Wisconsin’s population had gotten at least one dose as of Wednesday.
President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that the United States has already met his goal of administering 200 million shots in his first 100 days. While here in the state, the seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases dropped to 672 cases on Wednesday. This marks a decline in average cases for six consecutive days.
More than 3.9 million doses have been administered in the state, with Pfizer making up for more than half of those doses.
Biden also urged businesses to give workers paid leave to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
“No working American should lose a single dollar from their paycheck because they chose to fill their patriotic duty of getting vaccinated,” Biden said.
Since the beginning of vaccine administration, over 215 million doses have been administered.
