Herd immunity in peril as some Wisconsin counties see low vaccine rates

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David Wahlberg of the Wisconsin State Journal reports that some Wisconsin counties have high vaccination rates — including Bayfield, Dane and Door — where more than half of the population is vaccinated. But in other counties, including Clark, Rusk and Taylor, the rate is half as much. Writes Wahlberg: “Access to vaccine, demographics, hesitancy about injections and political beliefs contribute to the differences, experts say. As health officials strive to vaccinate roughly 80% of the population for ‘herd immunity’ to protect against outbreaks and enable a return to normal life, places with low vaccination rates could become a concern for everyone.”

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Mark Hanson, a registered nurse and volunteer with the Benevolent Specialists Project Free Clinic, vaccinates Aristides Rivera, left, while Dr. Tim Docter, the free clinic’s medical director, immunizes Paul Griesbach, right. The vaccination clinic, held last week at Jessie Crawford Recovery Center in Madison, is one of many efforts in Dane County to inoculate diverse populations. The county’s COVID-19 vaccination rate is among the highest in the state. Credit: Amber Arnold / Wisconsin State Journal

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Quotable

“We’re only as good as our worst areas. It’s essentially an open can of gasoline that’s waiting for somebody to throw a match in.”
Dr. James Conway, UW Health pediatrician and vaccine expert, commenting to the Wisconsin State Journal about low vaccination rates in some counties here.

Data to note

Click on the image above to see Wisconsin DHS COVID-19 vaccine data, which is updated daily.

Here’s a look at the Department of Health Services’ vaccine dashboard, which showed Monday that 40.2% of Wisconsinites have received at least once vaccine dose, including 79.5% of those ages 65 and older. Meanwhile, 27.7% of Wisconsinites are fully vaccinated, including 71.9% of those older than 65. Racial disparities persist in distributing vaccines. The shares of Black, Hispanic and Native American residents to receive a dose remain below that of white residents.

Public health officials continue to urge Wisconsinites to wear masks and practice physical distancing until vaccinations are more widely distributed — particularly as more contagious virus variants spread. On Monday, the state DHS reported a seven-day average of 731 new cases. The state also reported one new COVID-19 death, pushing the full toll to 6,710.

WisContext offers this visualization.

Find a vaccine site near you

DHS has this interactive map of vaccine providers across Wisconsin. Vaccinations are generally by appointment only and it may take time to schedule appointments with providers due to limited supplies of vaccines. Curious about how well your county is doing on vaccinations? The Washington Post created this searchable map.

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