GREEN BAY, Wis. (NBC26) -- Over the past few weeks, thousands of Northeast Wosconsin frontline workers received the Covid vaccine.
And with that, local health officials are fighting to get doses out to the community.
"Generally, the healthcare systems are managing this very similarly," Bellin Health COO Sharla Baenen said. "So I think, generally, we’re all at about the same point."
Local healthcare systems say they will finish vaccinating their targeted workers at the start of 2021. So far, the Wisconsin DHS says just under 50,000 statewide have received it.
"I would say right now we’re probably about two-thirds of the way to target within our healthcare workforce," Baenen said.
"As far as our own vaccination process has gone, we’ve done more than 50 percent of our people," President and CEO of Prevea Health Ashok Rai said. "We should be wrapping up between Prevea and HSHS statewide next week."
Bellin Health has received nearly 2000 Pfizer doses so far. Baenen says it’s been hard to pick and choose who gets it first.
"We’re trying to predict out how many folks we can vaccinate on our workforce each week," she said.
Baenen says each week, as the minimum requirement, Bellin has had to request at least 975 doses from the DHS. The entire state has received just above 265,000 for distribution.
"So far we’ve gotten what we’ve requested," Baenen said. "So that’s been positive. We don’t have any sense that that won’t continue right now. But I think it’ll be very dependent on the ongoing supply of vaccine nationwide."
But between Prevea Health, HSHS and Bellin, officials say some workers have chosen not to take the vaccine.
"[We] Provide them with facts and scientifically backed information so they understand what the real risks and side effects are of the vaccine," Baenen said.
"It’s not like if you didn’t get your vaccine now you can’t get it in a month or two," Rai said. "But right now, this is your time to get it. And if you choose to wait, you stand in line with everybody else."
As local healthcare workers await their second dose, officials say the process signals a time of hope.
"Emotionally, I don’t think we’re allowed to breathe yet until our community is vaccinated," Rai said.
