Editor’s note: This article was published on February 22, 2021. COVID-19 information and recommendations are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website or view our most recent COVID-19 blog posts.
The COVID-19 vaccine has been available for select groups for some time now, but many are asking why there is such a long wait.
On this episode of The Rounds, Dr. Kori Krueger and Tammy Simon join us. They are helping lead the COVID-19 vaccine rollout for Marshfield Clinic Health System.
Dr. Krueger is a Med/Peds provider and chief quality officer for the Health System. Tammy Simon is a registered nurse and Vice President of the Institute for Quality, Innovation and Patient Safety at the Health System.
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About The Team
Wellness Team
Our team wants you to be in the best health you can be. We’ll provide you with ideas for healthy living and ways to maintain balance, stay fit and take care of you and your family.
Registered January 27 both myself and my wife are over 65 but not heard a thing. We were notified that we were registered but really what is the wait. We picked Weston center for shots. How soon will this happen???
Hi Rocky,
We understand your concern and appreciate your patience. We are doing our best to schedule individuals based on the phases proposed by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. We received an overwhelming response from the survey and are working our way through our waitlist as fast as possible to get people scheduled.
We only schedule appointments when we know what we are receiving for COVID 19 vaccine in the upcoming week, which means we are not scheduling more appointments than we have vaccine available for. We continue to be limited in COVID 19 vaccination appointments due to limited supply of COVID 19 vaccine. We are optimistic that vaccine supply will increase in the coming weeks.
If you ever want to get the latest on where we are in our vaccination efforts, this webpage may be helpful: http://marshfieldclinic.org/CovidVaccineAppointment. We update it daily.
Thank you and hope you have a good day,
Jake
On February 8 I registered myself and my husband for the COVID vaccine. We got an e-mail that day that said we are registered. We have not heard a word since that day. We are willing to go to a Marshfield Clinic in the area. It doesn’t have to be just Weston. I’m wondering how far down on the list we are. Thank you for taking the time to read and hopefully answer this.
Hi Vicki,
Our waiting list is fluid and requests are placed in order they are received into the location which the patient has requested to receive the vaccine. The only way to determine where someone is on the list is to look them up. Location on the list does not predict when they will receive the vaccine. At this time, we are receiving a very limited number of doses on a week-to-week basis for our entire service area, so our scheduling capacity is restricted. It may take several more weeks, even months, for us to vaccinate those who are on the COVID-19 vaccination waitlist. We are optimistic that vaccine supply will increase in the coming weeks.
We know the wait may be frustrating and do apologize for any concerns it may be causing. We appreciate your patience as we are working hard to vaccine as many people as we can. Thank you,
Jake
I am a nursing student and will have clinical this April. For clinical I am required to have the covid vaccine but I am not on the eligibility list. I am not sure what to do since I will be in a health care facility.
Hi Melanie,
Thank you for reaching out. Please fill out our survey online and classify yourself as a health care worker with direct patient contact. We will then call you to schedule you as our vaccine supply allows; this could take several weeks.
Here is a link to our survey: https://www.marshfieldclinic.org/specialties/infectious-diseases/covid-19-vaccine
Thank you and hope that helps,
Jake
I and my husband (both 77 yrs old) have registered and we were fortunate enough to be called to schedule our first vaccination. Unfortunately, we are wintering out of state and won’t be back to the Marshfield area until mid-March. Since we had to decline our vaccination the first time; does that put us back to the bottom of the list?
Hello Marlis,
If we call a patient and they decline to be scheduled for the vaccine at the time we call, we will categorize them as not interested. Once they are categorized as not interested, they will not be contacted again. Once you return from out of state, you can call us back and let us know that you are now interested and available for the vaccine. Then we will change their status to not contacted on their original survey and will then be at their original place in line – not at at the bottom.
Hope that helps,
Jake
All of the answers to the questions posed show that no one knows what, when or why adequate vaccine or distribution of same will be available.
I recently received my first vaccination. I am scheduled for the second one in 3 weeks. I have some hesitation on getting it because I have had Covid in November. Recently I have read that if you had Covid and received the first vaccination, the second dose doesn't do you much good, much less you have more severe reactions to it. Is there any documentation to prove this? At this point, my thought is to not get the second dose at this time, but maybe in 3-4 months. Does this make any sense?
Hello Debra,
Thank you for the question.
The recommendation is to receive both doses of the Pfizer 21 days apart and Moderna 28 days apart regardless of previous COVID infection. Reason is that the research on the two vaccines indicates that after two doses is when optimal immunization effectiveness is achieved.
Hope that helps,
Jake
When you call to tell us it is our turn to be vaccinated, and we do not answer, is a message left? How many times do they call? Then do we return the call? Please explain the procedure on this topic.
Hello Joan,
Thank you for your question.
On our first call, a message will be left to update the patient we will call them back in about one week. On the second call, we will leave a message with a telephone number to call back. If the patient does not call back we will call a third time and leave a message that we will call the patient back in 2 hours. If we do not connect with the patient after the 4th call, we will take them off the wait list.
Thanks and hope that helps,
Jake
What happens if you miss your call for an appointment? Do you go to the bottom of the list? Do they leave a message? Do they call you back. Just wondering what happens
Hello Cindy,
Thank you for your question.
On our first call, a message will be left to update the patient we will call them back in about one week. On the second call, we will leave a message with a telephone number to call back. If the patient does not call back we will call a third time and leave a message that we will call the patient back in 2 hours. If we do not connect with the patient after the 4th call, we will take them off the wait list.
Thanks and hope that helps,
Jake
My wife and I are 75 and on your waiting list. Now I read that next week the guideline for the list will be expanded. Will all people that are now on the list get the vaccine before this new group that will be added?
Hello Robert,
Thank you for reaching out.
On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services provided official guidance that new groups can begin to receive their COVID-19 vaccine March 1. We will open our COVID-19 vaccine survey for these groups on March 1 at 8 a.m. These new groups can be found here (https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/vaccine-about.htm) and include:
• Educators and child care
• Individuals enrolled in Medicaid long-term care programs
• Public-facing essential workers
• Non-frontline essential health care personnel
• Congregate living facility staff and residents
While we acknowledge this change, our focus remains on those 65 years or older, frontline health care workers, police and fire personnel, and corrections staff. Individuals on our waitlist that are 65 years or older, frontline health care workers, police and fire personnel, and corrections staff will get access to the COVID-19 vaccine before these new groups that will be added March 1. Within these groups, we will continue to vaccinate our waitlist on a first-come, first-serve basis.
At this time, we are receiving a very limited number of doses on a week-to-week basis for our entire service area, so our scheduling capacity is restricted. It may take several more weeks, even months, for us to vaccinate those who are on the COVID-19 vaccination waitlist. We are optimistic that vaccine supply will increase in the coming weeks.
Hope that helps and hope you have a great afternoon,
Jake
If someone on MCHS Covid vaccine waiting list were to get their vaccine elsewhere; would MCHS become aware of it and their name be removed from waiting list.
Hello Jeff,
Thank you for reaching out. If you are on our vaccine waitlist but received it elsewhere, please notify us so that we can remove your name from our waitlist.
Hope you have a great day,
Jake
Is there even a list? Or is it a pool? We got on several lists on the same day as some of our friends. (We're all over 65.) They've all gotten first shots and some are scheduled for their second shot next week. We still haven't even been scheduled for the first one. Is there priority within the list? Or are we just going to get tossed in a pool with millions of others when the next group becomes eligible?
Hi Dennis,
I understand your concern. We are doing our best to schedule individuals based on the phases proposed by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. We received an overwhelming response from the survey and are working our way through our waitlist as fast as possible to get people scheduled. There are also many reasons why someone may get called back first. For instance, some locations have less people signed up than others, so we might be able to get those individuals scheduled sooner. Also, certain groups are prioritized by the State of Wisconsin. For instance, health care workers are prioritized by the State to receive their vaccine before other groups.
Thank you and hope you have a good day,
Jake
My partner and I singed up on the weighting list a month ago on a phone number given to us by DR. Alvareze we are still weighting. Did we miss out? We were called back told "on the list" Whats up?
Hello Katherine,
Unfortunately, we cannot provide specifics about when you’d receive a call. We are only able to provide confirmation that you are on the list.
Appointment openings are based on our weekly allocation of vaccine supply from the state. We open appointments each week based on the amount of vaccine we will receive, and that number fluctuates. Based on the amount of vaccine the state is receiving each week, it may take weeks to months to vaccinate all those currently eligible.
For the latest information about our COVID-19 vaccination efforts, please go to marshfieldclinic.org/CovidVaccineAppointment.
We understand this must be frustrating and appreciate your patience as we are doing our best to work our way through our list as fast as possible to get people scheduled.
Thanks,
Jake
My parents have signed up for the vaccine on the wait list over 2 weeks ago and are 85 years old. Shouldn't they be triaged to high priority? I am surprised they have heard nothing back.
Hello Kristen,
At this time, we are receiving a very limited number of doses on a week-to-week basis for our entire service area, so our scheduling capacity is restricted. It may take several more weeks, even months, for us to vaccinate those who are on the COVID-19 vaccination waitlist. We are optimistic that vaccine supply will increase in the coming weeks. Our focus remains on those 65 years or older, frontline health care workers, police and fire personnel, and corrections staff.
Thanks,
Jake
The state of WI is scheduled to open the next tier on March 1st. Will we receive our vaccine before that, that is 65 and older? IF not will we have precedence before the next tier is started???
Hello Deb,
Thank you for reaching out.
On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services provided official guidance that new groups can begin to receive their COVID-19 vaccine March 1. We will open our COVID-19 vaccine survey for these groups on March 1 at 8 a.m. These new groups can be found here (https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/vaccine-about.htm) and include:
• Educators and child care
• Individuals enrolled in Medicaid long-term care programs
• Public-facing essential workers
• Non-frontline essential health care personnel
• Congregate living facility staff and residents
While we acknowledge this change, our focus remains on those 65 years or older, frontline health care workers, police and fire personnel, and corrections staff. Individuals on our waitlist that are 65 years or older, frontline health care workers, police and fire personnel, and corrections staff will get access to the COVID-19 vaccine before these new groups that will be added March 1. Within these groups, we will continue to vaccinate our waitlist on a first-come, first-serve basis.
At this time, we are receiving a very limited number of doses on a week-to-week basis for our entire service area, so our scheduling capacity is restricted. It may take several more weeks, even months, for us to vaccinate those who are on the COVID-19 vaccination waitlist. We are optimistic that vaccine supply will increase in the coming weeks.
Hope that helps and that you have a good afternoon,
Jake
I cannot find the Marshfield waiting list. Where exactly is it?
Hello Donald,
If you are looking to sign up for our COVID-19 vaccine waitlist, you can click here: https://www.marshfieldclinic.org/MedicalSpecialties/Pages/COVID19-Vaccine-Survey.aspx. If you are unable to complete the form online, you can also call us at 877-998-0880.
Hope that helps,
Jake
How do we find out where we are on the waiting list?
Hi Judith,
Unfortunately we are not able to provide information about where you are on our list. We are only able to provide confirmation that you are on the list. With our many different vaccine clinic locations and specific groups receiving high priority, there is not an accurate way to provide you with this number.
We appreciate your patience – thank you,
Jake
I am 62 have underlying health conditions and care for my elderly parents, they are 87 and 92. Why can’t I get my vaccine? If I get sick who cares for them? And I can still expose the virus to them even tho they are getting vaccinated.
Hi Shelley,
That sounds like a really difficult situation to be in. Trust me, we want to give you the vaccine. Unfortunately, the groups eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine are decided by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Per these state guidelines, currently only frontline health care workers and those 65 or older are eligible for the vaccine. Unfortunately you would not qualify for the vaccine under these guidelines. The best I can tell you is that your parents would be very well protected once they receive the vaccine. So even if you did expose them, the chance of them getting COVID-19 is very slim (less than 5%) and even slimmer to get severe COVID-19 where they would be hospitalized. Besides the vaccine, we recommend continuing to practice social distancing, wear masks and practice proper hand washing. Hopefully it won’t be long before we can add you to the list.
Thank you and hope you have a good day,
Jake