Next group of vaccine eligibility begins March 1

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On Jan. 26, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced the next set of people eligible for COVID-19 vaccination under Phase 1b in Wisconsin. Vaccination of these groups can begin March 1, depending on the availability of vaccine across the state.

Eligible groups will include, in order of priority: Childcare and education (including campus child care centers and faculty and staff in higher education settings who have direct student contact), people enrolled in Medicaid long-term care programs, some public-facing essential workers (food supply chain, utilities and infrastructure workers, etc.), non-frontline health care essential personnel, and facility staff and residents in congregate living settings (not including university residence halls or co-op housing).

UW–Madison will work with these criteria to identify and notify members of the campus community of their eligibility and provide next steps for vaccination as this information is available. Please watch your wisc.edu email address over the next several weeks for updates from University Health Services.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized two vaccines for use at this stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both vaccines, one from Moderna and the other from Pfizer-BioNTech, are safe and highly effective against the virus that causes COVID-19.

UW–Madison’s vaccination efforts are dependent upon availability of vaccine, as well as state and federal guidance, which determine who is eligible on what timeline. Some individuals within eligible groups may receive higher priority in the case of limited vaccine supply, as determined by DHS.

UHS strongly encourages everyone who is eligible and has not already been offered vaccine by another provider to schedule their appointment when it is offered. However, vaccination is not required.

Public health experts say that a significant proportion of people must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, which limits spread of the virus to vulnerable people. Vaccination helps ensure you protect yourself, your friends and family, and the campus community from COVID-19.

For recent coverage of vaccination on campus, including more information about each vaccine, visit: https://news.wisc.edu/uw-madison-to-begin-vaccinating-members-of-campus-community-aged-65-and-older/

UW–Madison is also working in close partnership with Public Health Madison and Dane County and area health systems. Please see this joint announcement: https://publichealthmdc.com/news/what-the-next-phase-of-wisconsin-vaccination-means-for-dane-county

To access your immunization record through UHS, including COVID-19 vaccination, log-in to your MyUHS account: https://myuhs.uhs.wisc.edu/login_dualauthentication.aspx. Look for the tab or drop-down item called “Immunizations.”