WINNEBAGO COUNTY (NBC 26) — As more people across Wisconsin are now fully vaccinated, the demand for shots has decreased and area mass vaccination sites have announced they have closed or will soon close.
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Here is a look at data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services for June 15, 2020. It breaks down who has been fully vaccinated so far:
As these facilities begin to shut down, what are some options for those who have waited to get vaccinated?
In Oshkosh, the Winnebago County Health Department is hosting free walk-in COVID-19 shots at the Sunnyview Expo Center from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Wednesday through the end of June.
Walk-ins are welcome and no appointments are necessary. The vaccination clinic offers all three vaccines: Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer.
The Pfizer vaccine is currently the only one approved for individuals aged 12 years and older. Anyone under the age of 18 should plan to have a parent or guardian present.
In an effort to get more people vaccinated, free transportation assistance is available to individuals in Winnebago, Outagamie, and Calumet counties.
They are asked to call Make the Ride Happen at 920-225-1719, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Spanish translators are also available on-site and they have a translation hot line as well.
And while it's been months since vaccines have become available to most of the public, some people who waited until this week to get their shot explain their hesitancy:
"Honestly I didn't want to get it but now I've been thinking about it," said Ezra Gomes-Rucks, Oshkosh.
“I didn’t get it back then because. I didn’t care for it. I guess I have a nephew so just getting the vaccine for him," said Johnny Xiong, Oshkosh.
"For me, I was supposed to get the Johnson & Johnson and then it was on pause, so I didn't know which one I wanted so I just decided to get the Moderna one," said Christina Thao, Green Bay.
Organizers of this clinic say every week brings in a new crowd.
“Usually we do see a pretty steady stream of one to two people from some of bigger local employers. They let their employees take an hour off and come to this clinic. We also have larger groups of people who don’t speak English and bring their own interpreters,” said Kim Goffard, Winnebago County Health Department Communicable Disease Nurse Supervisor. “We are seeing kids, parents, moms and dads getting vaccinated at the same time as their children. It’s just a different interesting crowd every single week.”
And while the reasons for waiting varies from person to person, for one man the delay wasn't so much for fear of the unknown but due to his medical condition.
“I was kind of nervous on getting the shot because recently here in February I had a stroke. Had a blood clot and that’s why I didn’t take the Johnson & Johnson because they said there’s a possibility you might get another blood clot and didn’t want to do that,” said Tommy Huettl, Poygon.
Those who came in said even if it wasn't something they wanted to do at first, they're hoping this can become a step closer toward normalcy.
"Going to get the vaccine in case the government says we need the vaccine to travel, because most of my family is in Africa, so in case I want to travel back there again," said Gomes-Rucks, Oshkosh.
Haven't received your COVID-19 shot? Well, the Winnebago County Health Department has a new calendar feature on their website that lists all the locations you can get vaccinated by date. Click here to view that calendar.
Learn more:
In efforts to break down any barriers, nurses are also available on-site for anyone who may have questions or hesitations.