MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced a list of 20 underlying conditions Thursday that will determine the next group of people eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting March 28th.
Among the list of qualifying conditions are being overweight (defined as a Body Mass Index, or BMI, of 25-29) or obese (a BMI of 30 or higher). Your BMI is calculated using your height and your weight, but many people may not know what their BMI is — and whether they may soon qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine because of it.
Luckily, the CDC has a free BMI Calculator that will do the math for you.
Based on the DHS’ new guidance, anyone with a BMI of 25 or over will soon be eligible to get the vaccine. That could cover a majority of adults in Wisconsin — DHS data from 2018 shows about 64% of the state’s adult population was considered overweight or obese by BMI. Health officials estimate more than 2 million people will be eligible for the vaccine in the next phase starting on March 28.
Those who don’t have any of the 20 conditions outlined by state officials will be eligible when vaccinations open up to the general public, which is expected to be sometime in May. President Joe Biden has said he expects there to be enough doses of the vaccine for every adult in the country by the end of that month.
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