MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Tony Evers is asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to prioritize Wisconsin for the distribution of a coronavirus vaccine.
In a letter addressed to HHS Secretary Alex Azar, Evers said Wisconsin “uniquely faces substantial barriers to implementing statewide mitigation strategies” because of court rulings and ongoing litigation on statewide public health orders. Evers said Wisconsin’s 450,000 health care workers would be the first to get vaccinated until enough doses for the general public are available.
“Given this and the outsized impact COVID-19 is having on our state, it is critical that Wisconsin be prioritized for vaccine allocation in quantities sufficient to vaccinate our healthcare workforce and with additional doses to be able to distribute to high-risk populations,” Evers said.
The governor also sent a letter to President Donald Trump and Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation asking for more federal funding to support the state’s COVID-19 response and vaccination efforts.
According to the letter, health officials expect vaccine infrastructure readiness to cost $10 million, plus an additional $2 million for public health guidance and awareness.
Evers said the state needs a total of $466 million for COVID-19 response in the first quarter of 2021 alone.
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