Wisconsin Department of Health Services Digital Updates

COVID-19 Response and Vaccination Update

Wisconsin Department of Health Services sent this bulletin at 09/13/2021 05:00 PM CDT

COVID-19 Update

Weekly Update: September 13, 2021

One Week Left! Roll up your sleeve. Get vaccinated. Get $100.

If you aren’t yet vaccinated, now is the time to reap your rewards through Sunday, September 19, 2021. Any Wisconsinite who gets their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine between August 20 and September 19 is eligible to receive a $100 U.S. Bank Rewards card.

DHS is asking that you help get the message out by sharing the social media graphics, and talking with your friends and family! The more people who get vaccinated, the quicker we can stop the spread.

How can I get my $100 reward?

• Be at least 12 years of age
• Live in Wisconsin
• Get your first COVID-19 shot from a vaccine provider in Wisconsin, Michigan, or Minnesota between August 20, 2021 and September 19, 2021
• Request your $100 U.S. Bank Rewards Card at 100.wisconsin.gov or by calling 844-684-1064 (both the website and call center are available in English, Hindi, Hmong, Mandarin, Somali and Spanish).

To find a COVID-19 vaccine location in Wisconsin, visit Vaccines.gov or call 211 or 877-947-2211. As we continue to see cases of COVID-19 rise, it’s also important that we all add layers of protection, like wearing masks and staying home when feeling sick.

Reminder: Vaccines are the Best Tool to End the Pandemic

The Delta variant is much more contagious than the original strain of COVID-19. With the original strain of COVID-19, an infected person was likely to infect two other people who are likely to infect two additional people for a total of 6 cases from one infection. With the Delta variant, an infected person is likely to infect five people who are likely to infect 25 people for a total of 30 cases from one infection.

As the spread increases, so does the risk that new, potentially more dangerous variants will develop.

Vaccines reduce a virus's ability to mutate

That is why public health officials are urging all eligible Wisconsinites to get the COVID-19 vaccine and to follow best health practices such as wearing a mask in public indoor spaces and staying home when sick. These measures will help stop the surge of the Delta variant across the state.

Testing

Did you go to a Labor Day celebration and are now experiencing symptoms of COVID-19? Have you learned you were exposed to someone who tested positive?

If you are feeling ill or if you may have been exposed to someone that has tested positive for COVID-19, visit our testing page to learn the different ways you can get tested.

• Call your provider or 211 if you have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19, even if you are fully vaccinated.
• Visit a community testing site.
• Request an at-home collection kit.

Know the Facts: COVID-19 Vaccines and Pregnant People

COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for everyone ages 12 and older. Experts in fertility, pregnancy care, and public health strongly urge all individuals who are pregnant now or are wanting to have children in the future to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

• Millions of people have safely gotten the COVID-19 vaccine, thousands of whom have given birth or become pregnant after getting the vaccine.
• COVID-19 vaccines are safe for people who are pregnant, or who want to have a child in the future.
• Pregnant people are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Getting sick from COVID-19 infection when pregnant can cause preterm birth, stillbirth, and other pregnancy complications. Vaccination either before conception or early during pregnancy is the best way to avoid complications!
• Studies show that the vaccines do not cause any fertility problems in men or women. And, the vaccines do not cause any problems with becoming pregnant.

Dive deeper into this topic by visiting our COVID-19 Vaccine Fertility webpage.

School is in Session!

With the new school year in full swing, it is more important than ever that we do everything we can to keep students safe. There are a number of steps that you can take as a parent to help your children stay safe this school year. Wearing a mask, getting vaccinated, and keeping your child home when they feel sick are all important to ensuring kids can continue learning in a safe and healthy environment. For more resources, visit the COVID-19 Healthy Kids page.

You Stop the Spread: Back to School is Here!

Use Your Phone to Slow the Spread of COVID-19

The WI Exposure Notification app is available to download for free from the Google Play Store or enable in Settings on your iPhone. The more people who use the app, the faster we can stop the spread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin.

How does it work? Once you activate the app, your phone exchanges anonymous signals with other phones that are near it for at least 15 minutes. If somebody who has the app tests positive for COVID-19, they can then send an alert using the app to those other phones.

Stay alert. WI Exposure Notification on your mobile devices

Learn more about the app by visiting WI Exposure Notification App webpage.

How to Access Your Immunization Record

Vaccination Card

First, your vaccination card has information on when and where you received your vaccine as well as other helpful information related to the COVID-19 vaccine. Keep your card in a safe place! When taking pictures or posting selfies about getting your COVID-19 vaccine, do not post photos of your vaccination card online to protect your health information. Do not laminate your vaccination card.

Additionally, the act of creating, distributing, selling, or buying of fake COVID-19 vaccination record cards and any act of forging COVID-19 vaccination information is illegal and punishable under federal law. For more information, read the DHS news release.

Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR)

Access your COVID-19 vaccination record online

If you received your COVID-19 vaccination in Wisconsin, an electronic version of your vaccination record is available on the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR). To access your record online, you will need your first and last name, date of birth, and either Social Security number, Medicaid ID number, or health care member ID number. If you do not have a social security or Medicaid ID number, learn how to access your record on the DHS COVID-19: Know What to Expect webpage.

Follow the links below to access the WIR public immunization records portal.

English - Public Immunization Record Access (link is external)
Spanish - Acceso Publico del Registro de Inmunización (link is external)
Hmong - Tshawb Nrhiav Txog Kev Txhaj Tshuaj Cov Ntaub Ntawv (link is external)

Follow the on-screen prompts and click the Search button. You will then be able to see, download, and print your vaccination record. If you do not see the record, or you receive an error message, call the provider or organization where you were vaccinated. They may be able to provide you with a member ID number to use in WIR.

To unlock your record or to have your record sent to you or a third party, use the Wisconsin Immunization Registry Record Release Authorization, F-02487 (PDF).

If you received your vaccination in another state, go to that state department of health’s website to search their vaccine registry.

Are You a School, Employer, or Event Organizer? Host an On-Site Vaccination Clinic!

Schools, faith-based, community-based organizations, or community events who want to hold an on-site clinic for a group of individuals ready to be vaccinated, can communicate their interest to DHS by filling out the vaccination clinic matching survey and learn more on the DHS COVID-19 vaccine partner resources webpage. Employers can also hold an on-site clinic for their employees and their families, visit our COVID-19: Businesses, Employers, and Workers webpage to sign up.

Vaccine Distribution Summary

Check out the latest data on Wisconsin’s vaccination effort. DHS updates provider data every Tuesday, and the administered number is updated every weekday at 2 p.m.

COVID-19 by the Numbers

• Cases
• Deaths
• Disease Activity
• Race and Ethnic Disparities
• Vaccine

Resilient Wisconsin

Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations like the COVID-19 pandemic. But taking care of yourself, your friends, and your family can help you cope with the challenges you’re experiencing. Resilient Wisconsin has information and tools to support good health for you, your friends, and your family.

Other Languages, Graphics, and Print Materials

DHS materials are available in multiple languages as electronic files you can view online or download and print. You can use these materials at home or for your business. Visit the DHS website to view what resources are available to you.