Local government frontline workers begin receiving COVID-19 vaccine

After waiting several weeks for their chance to receive a COVID-19 vaccine shot, local government employees considered frontline workers are starting to get them.

In Waukesha County, Executive Paul Farrow says the county is working with its fire departments and Ascension Wisconsin to provide doses to Emergency Medical Services workers. They are also working with community partners so that other Phase 1A healthcare workers, such as home health care providers and dentists, not affiliated with a hospital to get the vaccine.

“Community partnerships like this are essential to ensuring safe and efficient delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine during this historic effort,” says Farrow. “When organizations like Ascension Wisconsin step up to protect vital health care workers, like EMS, from COVID-19, it helps the entire county by protecting frontline personnel.”

The first part of this effort will focus on administering shots around 300 EMS members in Waukesha County.

“Vaccinating EMS personnel is a high priority for Ascension Wisconsin,” says Dr. Mushir Hassan, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Ascension Elmbrook. “With the development of these vaccines and the remarkable work of our caregivers and frontline emergency medical service teams, relief is on the horizon. Vaccination, along with continuing vigilance for mask wearing and social distancing, is the clearest path to ending the pandemic.”

In the City of Hartford, Administrator Steve Volkert sharing on Facebook that ambulance service members of the city’s Fire and Rescue staff received their first dose of the vaccine last week. The rest of the Fire Department staff and members of the Police Department should get their first dose later this month.

In the City of Milwaukee, the Health Department began administering doses of the vaccine to EMS and department staff last week, with plans to get over 800 doses for their first shipment. With future shipments expected to have higher dose amounts, the city plans to use the Wisconsin Center as their immunization site starting Tuesday, January 12.