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Wisconsinites have had high praise for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ handling of the vaccine distribution. He’s done such a good job – even Republicans, who have a history of trying to undermine the governor, admit he has handled the vaccine rollout well.
GOP Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said the state “has done a really good job getting people vaccinated.” And state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos noted how Gov. Evers’ administration has worked to speed up vaccine distribution: “Kudos to the administration for actually doing a better job.”
Wisconsin is one of the top states in the country for shots in arms. Nearly half of Wisconsin’s seniors are already fully vaccinated for COVID-19, and nearly three in four seniors have received at least their first dose. As of this week, Wisconsin has vaccinated 27.2% of its residents, ahead of the national average.
Also impressive – Wisconsin’s vaccine waste rate is ten times below the federal government’s standard of 2%.
Read more about the Wisconsin GOP praising Gov. Evers’ vaccination rollout below:
Associated Press: Wisconsin GOP leaders praise state’s vaccination efforts
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Although the U.S. coronavirus landscape has brightened considerably since the start of vaccinations, infection rates have recently jumped in some states, including Michigan, and public health experts warn at every opportunity that relaxing social distancing and other measures could easily lead to another surge.
Wisconsin’s increasing vaccination rate, and its continued drops in new cases, hospitalizations and deaths are all positive signs though, LeMahieu said.
“I’m just encouraged by the trend we’re on,” he said. “I think sooner rather than later we need to return to whatever that new normal is.”
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Republicans also blamed Evers for an initially slow rollout of the vaccine when it first became available in mid-December. But both Vos and LeMahieu praised the ongoing vaccination effort now entering its fourth month.
“Our state over the last month or two has done a really good job getting people vaccinated,” LeMahieu said.
Vos added, “Kudos to the administration for actually doing a better job.”
Wisconsin ranks 16th nationwide in the percentage of people who have gotten at least one dose, at 27.2%, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is ahead of the national average of 25.3%. Wisconsin has also ranked near the top nationally in the efficiency of turning around vaccine once it is available for use.
As of Tuesday, nearly 73% of people over age 65 had received at least one dose and 15% of the state’s population age 16 and over were fully vaccinated, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
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WPR: Wisconsin GOP Leaders Praise State’s COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
Republican legislative leaders on Wednesday praised the Evers administration’s rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in Wisconsin, a change from widespread criticism from the state GOP when the vaccination effort began earlier this year.
Speaking at a virtual event hosted by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce on Wednesday morning, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, both lauded the current status of vaccine distribution in Wisconsin.
“(The state health department) had a rough start, getting the vaccines out early,” LeMahieu said. “But our state, I think, over the last month or two has done a really good job getting people vaccinated.”
According to an analysis by NPR, as of Wednesday, Wisconsin is among the top 15 states in the country for both the percentage of the population that has been fully vaccinated and the percentage of people who have received at least one dose. It is in the top five for the percentage of allocated doses used.
