COVID-19 Vaccine Demand Slows Down, But DHS Says Need Still Critical

By Erik Gunn, The Wisconsin Examiner

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May 5, 2021

The supply of COVID-19 vaccine in Wisconsin is now outpacing demand, and the state’s vaccine program is in the process of adjusting its approach once again in response.

Instead of having to portion out vaccine doses around the state, sometimes sending vaccinators less than what they requested in order to make sure that every part of the state got some, the state now expects to be able to send all vaccine providers the full amount they request, as they request it, Deputy Health Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk told reporters Tuesday.

As of Tuesday, nearly 4.5 million doses of vaccine have been administered, and more than 2 million Wisconsin residents have completed a vaccination series — getting two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. More than 43% of people in the state have received at least one dose of vaccine, and more than 75% of people 65 or older have completed their series.

The pace of vaccinations is slowing down, however. In mid-April, the average number of shots per day in the state was more than 60,000, according to data from the Department of Health Services (DHS). As of Monday, the average daily count was about half that.

“The people who are most eager, or most anxious, or most committed to getting the vaccine largely have been able to secure a vaccine,” said Van Dijk at a Tuesday afternoon online briefing for reporters. “And we are now working to get vaccines to people who either didn’t have as much information, didn’t have as easy an access, didn’t have as much desire. They may be interested, or somewhat interested, but they may need a little bit more information, a little bit more coaxing.”

With the slackening demand, she said, it will be important for providers and the state’s vaccination network to continue making vaccines readily available.

“The most important thing is that we continue to give people good information and easy access to the vaccine, so they can make the best decision for them and their families,” said Van Dijk.

To help ensure continued widespread access, community-based vaccine clinics in Barron, Douglas, La Crosse, Marathon, Racine and Rock counties are all taking walk-in patients without appointments, as are other mass clinics in the state such as at the Wisconsin Center in downtown Milwaukee. In addition, DHS has established a vaccinator “matching” program to pair employers or community organizations with vaccine providers to help set up local vaccine clinics at workplaces or other community sites.

At the same time, said Van Dijk, public health practitioners are working to make the vaccine still more accessible, especially to people who aren’t comfortable in seeking appointments online or who are unable to do so.

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While demand may be falling, the urgency for as many people to get the vaccine as possible remains. As of Tuesday, the state passed “a grim milestone,” Van Dijk observed, as the total case count reached 600,297 people who have been confirmed to have been infected with the virus — larger than the population of Milwaukee.

The number of people who have died from COVID-19 reached 6,850, according to the statistics kept by DHS. Moreover, the pace of deaths has increased somewhat in recent weeks.

Dr. Ryan Westergaard, the DHS chief medical officer, said one likely reason is that the coronavirus variant known as B.1.1.7 is now circulating more widely in the state — and has been found to be 64% more likely to be fatal compared with the original virus.

“In Wisconsin right now, greater than 60% of the [coronaviruses] that are circulating are the B.1.1.7 variant,” Westergaard said.

The persistence of the virus “is why it is so important to get vaccinated,” said Van Dijk. “It is our most effective tool to get through this pandemic. And the more of us who get vaccinated, the faster we can get there.”

With the slackening demand along with the now-robust supply of vaccine, the amount that has had to be disposed of has risen to about 1,000 to 2,000 doses per week. “I’m not going to call them wasted,” Van Dijk said. “They’re just lost because of the storage requirements.”

At the same time, she said, the state is urging vaccinators to conserve as many vaccine doses as possible.

Van Dijk described a conversation she had recently with officials at an unidentified metro area health system administering vaccines. Providers there notify other clinics in its community when opening a new vial of vaccine serum. “If a clinic across town needs three doses, they let [the originating vaccine provider] know, and they are transporting those three doses over to the clinic to maximize the usage of that 10-dose vial,” she said.

Demand could rise soon, with a pending decision from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to extend the Pfizer vaccine to children 12 to 15 years old. Wisconsin has about 300,000 children in that age range, Van Dijk said.

DHS has been in conversation with school officials about ways to offer the vaccine, as well as with health care networks so that parents might more easily get vaccines for their children through their primary health care providers, she added.

The Wisconsin Examiner, a nonpartisan, nonprofit news site, offers a fresh perspective on state politics and policy through investigative reporting and daily coverage dedicated to the public interest. The Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.