MADISON, Wis. — The race to get an appointment scheduled for the COVID-19 vaccine was marked by stiff competition Monday as millions more Wisconsinites became eligible under group 1C.
Group 1C includes anyone age 16 and older with a high-risk medical condition.
UW Health staff had previously been calling patients individually to help set up appointments for those eligible, but with the increase in the number of people who became eligible Monday, it switched to a self-registration model.
Dr. Jeff Pothof said this model can help them get through the process more efficiently.
“Don’t be discouraged. Don’t be dismayed. If you call a site and they say, ‘Sorry we are out’, try, try again and sooner or later you’ll find someone who has a dose that you can get,” Pothof said.
SSM Health’s Vice President of Pharmacy Services Mo Kharbat said they have been fielding thousands of calls per hour from people trying to schedule appointments.
The provider recommends calling their hotline (608-250-1222) repeatedly to schedule an appointment. Kharbat said SSM Health is scheduling people several weeks out because they are consistently booked at least 10 days out.
Public Health Madison Dane County’s COVID Vaccine Deputy Tess Ellens said the volume of people they are dealing with has them backed up in the scheduling process.
“We are still currently working through tier 1B,” Ellens said.
It may be a week or so before PHMDC can start scheduling those from group 1C.
If you visit PHMDC’s website, you can find a pharmacy, vaccination clinic and healthcare provider near you and search the location and time that works best for you.
You can also go to the DHS website and find a map of vaccine providers. Click on one, and find the next available day and time.
There, you can also find the state’s vaccine registry to confirm that you are eligible and then it will help link you to a place with available vaccines.
“It was okay for group 1B but with group 1C the number of individuals who qualify for the vaccine is much, much bigger,” Kharbat said.
Between SSM, UW Health and Public Health, they’re able to schedule and vaccinate about 20,000 per week across all of their clinics, but staying patient is key.
“The supply is nowhere near enough to schedule individuals who qualify for the vaccine,” Kharbat said.
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