The University of Wisconsin has announced new eligibility for university staff and students to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to UW News, beginning March 1, a new group of Wisconsin residents became eligible for the vaccine.
One Wisconsin resident is frustrated with UW’s vaccination efforts. In a tweet replying to UW’s announcement of additional eligibility for vaccines, Rose Fernandez said UW was not doing enough.
“Badger students low priority for #vaccines. Have to wait 6 more months despite paying full tuition and fees for 3 semesters of empty campus. @UWMadison lets us down,” Fernandez said in the tweet. “Vast majority of @UWMadison students will wait until they find vaccine elsewhere. Seems like it was planned that way. Our flagship university sends students home unvaccinated.”
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According to UW News, UHS does not have enough vaccines to match the current group of eligible individuals to receive the vaccine. Due to this, UHS cannot offer vaccine appointments to everyone available.
Currently, UHS is able to offer the vaccine to faculty, staff and teaching assistants 45 and older who are in-person teaching, Housing and Dining staff 45 and older and all childcare and custodial staff.
UW Director of Communications Meredith McGlone said in an email to The Badger Herald on behalf of UHS that the university has already provided over 10,000 shots to students and employees.
McGlone said staff and students who are apart of currently eligible groups in the state who are not able to get the vaccine on campus are able to make appointments at other local locations.
Vaccine numbers are expected to increase by April and all staff should be able to receive their vaccine by late May, according to UW News. President Joe Biden made a statement March 2 that the U.S. is on track to receive enough COVID-19 vaccines for all adults by the end of May, according to NPR.
“We understand the eagerness of many students to get vaccinated and we share that eagerness,” McGlone said. “Students who meet DHS eligibility criteria were among the very first people vaccinated on campus.”
As UHS continues to get additional vaccinations, more individuals will be on the road to completing the immunization process.
Until then, many people will continue to wait until they become eligible for the vaccine. Once becoming eligible, they may still have to wait to receive the vaccine until enough doses are available.
“As more supply of [the] vaccine is allocated to campus and as more people become eligible, we are able to offer [the] vaccine to more employees and students,” McGlone said.
This article was updated 3/11 at 9:50 a.m. to include further comment from Director of News and Media Meredith McGlone clarifying that students and staff can seek the vaccine at locations other than UHS.
