KAUKAUNA, Wis. (NBC26) -- According to LeadingAge Wisconsin, 91 percent of all Covid deaths in Wisconsin occurred with people over the age of 60, which is why it says 1,726 residents and 1,813 staff members within 39 long-term nursing facilities received the Moderna vaccine last week.
"The state assures us that a week from today, Jan. 11... they are telling us that about half of all the nursing homes will have received the vaccine for their residents and staff," LeadingAge CEO and President John Sauer said.
Last week, Evergreen Retirement Community in Oshkosh says it received vaccines for its residents and staff.
Today, St. Paul Elder Services in Kaukauna says it vaccinated 164 staff members and 97 residents.
Sauer says the state’s plan is for CVS and Walgreens to vaccinate nearly 360 nursing facilities before the end of the month.
"I think that’s a pretty significant undertaking," Sauer said. "If those numbers hold true, in two more weeks, we should have all nursing homes receiving the vaccine — their residents and staff."
But Sauer says it could be a while before nearly 4,500 other long-term care facilities, not including nursing programs, receive the vaccine.
'We’re talking in long-term care, probably in the neighborhood of about 200,000 vaccines that need to be distributed and administered," he said. "And that needs to happen twice."
But local nursing facilities are excited at the progress that’s been made since Dec. 28.
"Watching the folks from Walgreens come in was the greatest gift we have seen," Evergreen President and CEO Ken Arneson said. "We had some people that were a little bit in tears. We had some people that were taking selfies."
But nursing facility leaders say the vaccination numbers are nowhere near their goal.
"[We'll] probably [be] into the spring before we’re able to bring the vaccine to all assisted living facilities," Sauer said.
"We do need to get our numbers up with staff," said Arneson. "Because the primary way Covid has entered the buildings have been through staff."
Though Sauer says only nursing facilities and healthcare systems have received the green light for vaccine distribution, it’s a step closer to pre-pandemic normalcy.
"There are people who are lining up in the facilities saying I want to be first," Sauer said. "Some organizations are treating it like a party. Because in many ways, it is a cause for celebration."
