Restaurant, retail, factory workers among some not eligible for COVID-19 vaccine yet
Everyone will be eligible in May
Everyone will be eligible in May
Everyone will be eligible in May
The state expanded its list of people eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine Thursday to those 16 and older with certain medical conditions beginning March 29, but restaurant servers, those in retail and construction workers have to wait longer.
Continuing Coverage: Coronavirus in Wisconsin
"We are announcing more eligibility groups in the coming months," Wisconsin Department of Health Services Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk said.
More Wisconsinites, especially those with chronic health conditions, will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in two weeks.
But restaurant servers will not even though they've served strangers month after month and taken pandemic risks.
"When we reopened. We reopened safely. Masks, for all our guests, for all our employees," said Chris Adams, vice president of hospitality democracy.
Adams helps lead the group that owns the Smoke Shack restaurants and others and said employees are asking when they can get vaccinated.
"Although we're disappointed that we're not on the list yet, we understand that we have our place. So eventually we will be on there. And it'll be just one additional layer for our staff," Adams said.
Retail, construction and factory workers also have to wait longer to get COVID-19 vaccines.
"A whole bunch of those people are not excluded. Because many of them would have one of these health conditions," Willems Van Dijk said.
Restaurant customer Laura Sue Mosier is skeptical about the vaccine.
"I don't want to be a guinea pig. Personally, I don't think COVID is deadly. I think it's a form of the flu," she said.
But for those who do want to get vaccinated, the state says with more vaccine there's hope on the horizon.
"Everyone is going to be eligible in May, and that is the biggest message I want everyone to hear," Willems Van Dijk said.
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