Weekly Update: November 29, 2021
To find a COVID-19 vaccine location in Wisconsin, visit Vaccines.gov or call 211 or 877-947-2211. As we continue to see high case activity throughout the state, it’s also important that we all add layers of protection, like getting vaccinated, getting your booster dose, wearing masks, and staying home when feeling sick.
Know the Facts: COVID-19 Omicron Variant
A new COVID-19 variant was identified last week in South Africa and cases of this new variant have also been identified in 14 other countries. On November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified this variant, B.1.1.529, as a variant of concern (VOC). The variant was named Omicron and has been demonstrated to be associated with one or more of the following changes:
- Increased transmissibility.
- Increase in virulence or change in clinical presentation of the disease.
- Decrease in effectiveness of public health and social preventative measures.
This variant is a cause for concern but not a cause for panic. We have more tools to fight the variant today than ever before. The best protection against this new variant, or any variant of COVID-19, is to get fully vaccinated and get a booster shot. If you are not vaccinated, now is the time to get vaccinated and to take your child to get vaccinated. Anyone ages 5 and older can get a free, safe, and effective vaccine now. If you are 18 and older and it has been at least six months since your second dose of Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or at least two months since you got your Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, getting your booster shot will provide the best protection from COVID-19, including this new variant.
Vaccines reduce a virus’s ability to infect people. Vaccines provide protection against COVID-19 variants since many of the characteristics of the virus remain the same. The sooner people get vaccinated against COVID-19, the less opportunity we give the virus to keep mutating. To find a COVID-19 vaccine provider in your community, visit Vaccines.gov, or call 211 or 877-947-2211.
DHS also urges all Wisconsinites to take a layered approach to help slow the spread of COVID-19. People should continue to wear masks, avoid large gatherings, maintain good hand hygiene, and get vaccinated.
Where to Get Your Booster Shot
DHS recommends that everyone ages 18 and older receive a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine following the completion of their primary series. If you are 18 years or older, you can get your COVID-19 booster dose:
- At least 6 months after you got your last dose of your Pfizer or Moderna primary vaccine series.
- At least 2 months after you got your Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
You are able to receive your booster dose at any vaccine provider. You may return to the site where you received your primary series, or if there is a more convenient location elsewhere, that is ok too.
It is not necessary to get the same vaccine type as your primary series.
To find a COVID-19 vaccine provider in your community, visit Vaccines.gov, or call 211 or 877-947-2211.
For additional information about booster doses, additional doses, and help accessing your COVID-19 vaccine record to determine when you may be recommended for a booster, visit the DHS Additional Doses and Booster Doses webpage.
Testing
Did you go to a Thanksgiving 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.
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.
Data Spotlight: Health Inequities in Wisconsin
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted health inequities, or differences in health status and availability of health resources, across the state and nation. In Wisconsin, communities of color have experienced higher rates of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths compared to white Wisconsin residents.
- Hispanic and Latinx residents have 5 times greater case rates.
- Black residents have 2 times greater hospitalization rates.
- American Indian residents have 5 greater death rates.
In addition, vaccination rates are lower in communities of color. The highest disparities of vaccination rates exist in Black and Hispanic or Latinx communities.
- Black residents are 7 times less as likely to be vaccinated compared to white Wisconsin residents.
- Hispanic or Latinx residents are 9 times less as likely to be vaccinated compared to white Wisconsin residents.
 Individual choice is not what keeps these communities from being as healthy as possible. Structural racism and social factors often create barriers and obstacles for many people. Your health is influenced by much more than your access to quality health care services. Research shows it is also impacted by where you work, where you live, how much money you earn, and how much education you have. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reports vaccine, case, hospitalization, and death data by race and ethnicity. See the data and learn how and why DHS is centering equity in our work to reduce health disparities in Wisconsin.
Resilient Wisconsin
Traumatic events create shared experiences and can disrupt our sense of safety and security. They cause confusion and uncertainty – this stress is known as collective trauma. If you are experiencing emotional distress, or the effects of collective trauma, the Disaster Distress Hotline is here for you. Call or text 800,985-5990 to be connected with a trained, caring counselor – 24/7. Remember, it is okay to ask for help.
Resilient Wisconsin has information and tools to support good health for you, your friends, and your family.
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