Evers defends vaccine distribution as eligible group expands

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Gov. Tony Evers is defending Wisconsin’s vaccination efforts in the face of increasing Republican criticism while urging patience as the number of people eligible to be inoculated will exponentially expand next week.

Everyone over age 65 will be eligible for the vaccine starting Monday, about 700,000 people.

The state Department of Health Services is considering a recommendation that teachers, grocery store workers, transit workers and others be added to the priority list.

That would make more than 40% of Wisconsin’s total population, or about 2 million people, eligible to be vaccinated.

But the state is only getting about 70,000 doses of vaccine a week.