COVID-19 vaccinations in Wisconsin drop to all-time low

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - In the very first week the COVID-19 vaccine was available, when supplies were trickling in and only a select few were allowed to get them, the Dept. of Health Services reports 11,296 people in Wisconsin lined up to get their first shot. Last week when supplies are plenty and everyone over the age of 5 years old could get a shot, health care workers across the state delivered fewer first, second, and booster doses combined.

On Monday, the state health agency reported 10,303 doses of the vaccine were given in the week of March 20, the lowest number yet recorded. While most people in the state have completed their initial series and a third have received a booster shot or additional dose, limiting the pool of potential jabs, nearly 40 percent of Wisconsin residents and approximately two-thirds of the state would be able to get one.

The reduced demand for vaccinations contributed to Public Health Madison and Dane County’s decision to shutter its vaccination and testing clinics at the Alliant Energy Center. However, on Monday, local health officials revealed a private company has struck a deal with the facility to keep the testing clinic going.

COVID-19 vaccines for Wisconsin residents, on March 28, 2022.(Dept. of Health Services)

The latest DHS update also shows the 152 new, confirmed COVID-19 cases dropped the seven-day rolling-average back to its lowest point since last summer. The agency reports an average of 316 cases were reported over the past week, tying last Thursday and Friday’s reported lows. The collapsing number of cases is also reflected in the March case count, which currently sits just below 10,000 for the month.

A spike in deaths reported at the end of last week, with 33 recorded on March 25, kept the seven-day rolling average for deaths at the high end of the range where it has sat for the entire month. The average has not exceeded that point in March and only dropped below seven per day once. In all, the state has reported 12,775 people have died in Wisconsin from COVID-19 or complications related to the virus since the pandemic began.