While many in Wisconsin wait anxiously for COVID-19 vaccine eligibility, state health officials say good news from the federal government on vaccine production could mean eligibility for all Wisconsinites by in less than three months.
Officials were heartened by an announcement this week from the Biden Administration that vaccines will be available to all adults by the end of May.
“I think eligibility for everybody in May is a very realistic goal,” Julie Willems Van Dijk, deputy secretary for the state Department of Health Services, said Thursday.
“The addition of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to our federal allocation and the news of increased production for all three vaccines means our state will get more vaccine,” she said.
But she cautioned that while vaccine may be available in May, it might be June or July before all adults who want a vaccine can get it.
“It will depend on how many people we have vaccinated in May,” she said.
Meanwhile, the state is still hashing out the next wave of eligibility for a vaccine. At least some people with pre-existing conditions that make at risk for serious illness from COVID-19 infections will likely be included.