Here & Now

>>> WELCOME TO "NOON WEDNESDAY," I'M MARISA WOJCIK, MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST WITH HERE AND NOW ON PBS WISCONSIN. TODAY IS MARCH 17. WISCONSIN HAS OFFICIALLY SURPASSED THE 2 MILLION MARK OF NUMBER OF COVID-19 VACCINES DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE STATE. HOWEVER, IT'S ONLY JUST OVER 20% OF THE POPULATION, AND THERE ARE STILL HURDLES AHEAD AS MORE GROUPS BECOME ELIGIBLE ON THE HUNT TO FIND A VACCINE. SO FOR MORE ON NEW ELIGIBILITY AND VACCINE HUNTERS, BRAM SABLE-SMITH, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER FOR WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO IS HERE TODAY, AND, BRAM, THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU RECENTLY CHRONICLED THE JOURNEY OF DIFFERENT WISCONSIN RESIDENTS SEARCHING FOR A VACCINE. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE HURDLES THEY WERE ENCOUNTERING? >> WELL, YEAH, YOU KNOW, THE VACCINE INTEREST FORMS THAT I FILLED OUT WITH MY HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, I FILLED OUT IN THE COUNTY WHERE I LIVE, AND THAT'S BEEN THE GUIDANCE FOR PEOPLE, FILL OUT INTEREST FORMS AND JUST WAIT AND WE'LL CONTACT YOU WHEN YOU ARE READY FOR AN APPOINTMENT, WHEN WE HAVE AVAILABILITY. YOU KNOW, TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, PEOPLE GOT IMPATIENT, WANTING APPOINTMENTS FASTER AND HAVE NOT FOUND MOVEMENT OR GETTING SCHEDULED THROUGH THE CHANNELS THEIR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND HEALTHCARE DEPARTMENTS. THEY MADE IT THEIR MISSION TO GO OUT MORE PROACTIVELY TO FIND APPOINTMENTS FOR THEMSELVES OR FOR THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, AND IN SOME CASES, FOR STRANGERS. THEY ARE FACING HURDLES LIKE TECHNOLOGY BEING A MAJOR ONE. IF YOU WANT A VACCINE APPOINTMENT AT WALGREENS, SAY, THAT VERY MUCH DEPENDS ON YOUR ABILITY TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT AT WALGREENS AND THEN WAKE UP IN THE MORNING WHEN THE VACCINE APPOINTMENTS BECOME AVAILABLE, AND LOG-IN INTO THE ACCOUNT, AND SIGN UP FOR AN APPOINTMENT THAT WAY. LOTS OF PEOPLE ALSO NEED A LOT OF TIME TO FIND THESE APPOINTMENTS. YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO SCHEDULE AT WALGREENS SO YOU GO DOWN THE LIST TO FIND PHARMACIES AND PROVIDERS WHO TAKE APPOINTMENTS. THAT TAKES A LONG TIME. WE KNOW THIS FROM FINDING APPOINTMENTS MYSELF. I'M ELIGIBLE MONDAY, TRYING TO GET MY IN-LAWS SCHEDULED, IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME, THEY ARE SUBSTANTIAL HURDLES FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. >> AND SO THESE NEW WEBSITES AND FACEBOOK GROUPS ARE SOMEWHAT KIND OF LIKE A GRASSROOTS EFFORT OF PEOPLE TRYING TO CONNECT ONE ANOTHER, PEOPLE TRYING TO HELP EACH OTHER. HOW MANY OF THESE KIND OF AD HOC GROUPS ARE OUT THERE, AND WHAT DID YOU NOTICE WHEN YOU STARTED FOLLOWING THEIR EFFORTS? >> I MEAN, THERE ARE -- THESE GROUPS EXIST. THERE WAS OFTENTIMES MULTIPLE GROUPS IN THE STATE, AND THEY ARE IN STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I MEAN, THESE THINGS POPPED UP ALL OVER THE PLACE. THE BIGGEST ONE IN WISCONSIN THAT I'VE FOUND IS CALLED MILWAUKEE -- LET'S SEE -- MILWAUKEE AND WISCONSIN AREA VACCINE HUNTERS AND ANGELS. IT'S GOT ABOUT -- LAST I CHECKE. IT IS A SUBSTANTIAL GROUP. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY COME ACROSS THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, NUMBER ONE, THE GROUP IN WISCONSIN IS VERY, VERY ENCOURAGING. THERE'S A LARGE EFFORT, A LARGE NUMBER OF POSITIVES, AND THE MIND SET IS A SHOT IN THE ARM IS A GOOD THING, AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE HERE TO DO. THERE'S NOT QUESTIONING ABOUT, OH, WHY IS THIS GROUP ELIGIBLE AND THIS GROUP IS NOT. IT IS VERY MUCH AN ENCOURAGING THING, AND IT IS PEOPLE SHARING THESE, LIKE YOU SAID, GRASSROOTS TYPES HOW TO FIND APPOINTMENTS. THEY NOTICED WALGREENS SEEMS LIKE THAT HE RELEASE -- THAT THEY RELEASE NEW APPOINTMENTS IN

THE MORNING AT 6

00 A.M. THAT'S A PIECE OF INFORMATION SHARED WITH PEOPLE AND PEOPLE CAPITALIZE ON THAT. YOU HAVE ALL PEOPLE WAKING UP AT 5:55 IN THE MORNING AND POSTING THESE POSITIVE MESSAGES IN THE GROUP SAYING, NEW APPOINTMENTS OUT, GO GET THEM! LET'S GET SHOTS IN ARMS, PEOPLE! ANOTHER THING THEY'VE BEEN DOING IS CATALOGING -- SOME PHARMACIES HAVE STANDBY, LIKE A WAIT LIST, SO, YOU KNOW, PHARMACIES SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS DURING THE DAY, AND SOME PEOPLE WON'T SHOW UP FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER SO THAT MEANS LEFTOVER DOSES AT THE END OF THE DAY. IT'S A SMALL AMOUNT OF LEFTOVER DOSES USUALLY AVAILABLE, IF ANY, BUT SOME PHARMACIES WILL HAVE A LIST OF PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN CALL, SAY, HEY, YOU TOLD US YOU WERE INTERESTED, CAN YOU COME TO THIS LOCATION AND GET THE SHOT IN THE NEXT 25 MINUTES SO WE DON'T HAVE TO THROW IT AWAY? THIS GROUP, THE FACEBOOK GROUPS, STARTED CATALOGING, YOU KNOW, HAVE A RUNNING GOOGLE DOCUMENT OF THE PHARMACIES THAT DO OR DO NOT OFFER THOSE KINDS OF SERVICES. THEY SHARE TIPS ABOUT, HEY, WHERE CAN YOU SHOW UP IN PERSON TO GET A SHOT, WHETHER IT IS TO GO TO A VACCINE SHOT THAT MIGHT HAVE LEFTOVERS, SHOW UP THERE AT THE END OF THE DAY AND ASK IF THEY HAVE LEFTOVER SHOTS AVAILABLE FOR YOU, OR IF THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WALK-IN CLINICS THAT ARE OFFERING APPOINTMENTS IN A WAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS ONLINE PROCESSING, THAT IS BURDENSOME OR DIFFICULT FOR SOME PEOPLE. THEY ARE SHARING VARIOUS TIPS ALONG THOSE WAYS. REALLY CLEVERLY, KEEPING IT POSITIVE, AND THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, VERY MUCH IN THE GROUP, THE WISCONSIN ONE, THE FOCUS ON GETTING AS MANY PEOPLE VACCINATED AS POSSIBLE. >> NOW, THERE WERE A FEW RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU SPECIFICALLY DETAILED IN YOUR ARTICLE, INCLUDING EXPECTATIONS ABOUT TRAVELING, COMMUNICATION WITH HEALTH PROVIDERS. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE? >> WELL, ONE OF THOSE IS TO BE PATIENT. I MEAN, YOU MENTIONED WE'VE PASSED THE 2 MILLION SHOTS THRESHOLD GIVEN IN WISCONSIN, BUT WE ARE GETTING A FIXED NUMBER OF VACCINES IN THE STATE, AND WE ARE ROLLING THEM OUT DOING A DECENT JOB. WE LEAD THE COUNTRY NOW, I THINK IT'S BEEN A COUPLE WEEKS NOW WHERE WE LED THE COUNTRY IN THE PERCENT OF SHOTS IN ARMS. IT IS 94% TO 95% OF THE SHOTS THAT ARE COMING IN WISCONSIN HAVE GOTTEN INTO PEOPLE'S ARMS, WHICH IS PHENOMENAL. YOU'LL SEE OTHER STATES, MY HOME STATE OF MISSOURI, I THINK, IS 80% THRESHOLD IN ARMS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, FLIP SIDE OF THAT IS THAT 20% ARE NOT. BEING PATIENT IS THE BIGGEST TIP. YOU KNOW, IT -- THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH VACCINE, AND THEY ARE IN HUGE DEMAND IN WISCONSIN. PEOPLE ARE GETTING SHOTS, AND THAT'S A REALLY GOOD THING. SO ONE TIP, YOU KNOW, BASIC ONE IS YOU CAN GO THROUGH THE PROVIDER, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE HAVE DONE, AND I SPOKE TO A 67-YEAR-OLD WOMAN IN THE MILWAUKEE AREA. HER PROVIDER GOT A LETTER IN THE MAIL SAYING, HEY, YOU ARE NOW ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINE, CALL THIS NUMBER FOR AN APPOINTMENT. SHOW FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS, AND SHE GOT HER APPOINTMENT WEEKS LATER, AND IS FULLY VACCINATED NOW. SO I MEAN, THAT'S THE REALLY COMMON WAY TO DO IT, IF YOU HAVE A PROVIDER, WORK WITH THEM TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT, BUT THAT'S NOT WORKING FOR EVERYBODY. NUMBER TWO, RESEARCH WHERE TO GO. THE STATE OF WISCONSIN ACTUALLY HAS A PRETTY USEFUL SEARCHABLE MAP OF ALL THE VACCINE PROVIDERS IN THE STATE, AND IT TELLS YOU WHETHER THEY ARE OPEN OR CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC, WHO CAN GET VACCINATED AT THOSE PLACES, AND IT IS A PRETTY USEFUL TOOL, AND THERE'S WEBSITES AND PHONE NUMBERS TO CALL THERE, AND SEARCH THAT BY COUNTY. IF YOU'RE IN DANE COUNTY AND WANT AN APPOINTMENT IN DANEDOWN, DO THAT AND SEE PROVIDERS THERE. IF YOU ARE SOMEWHERE ELSE OR WILLING TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, YOU CAN SEARCH FOR PROVIDERS ELSEWHERE. THAT'S MAYBE TIP NUMBER THREE, BEING WILLING TO TRAVEL. I SPOKE TO AN ESSENTIAL NON-FRONTLINE HEALTHCARE WORKER, I THINK, THE PROVISION, THIS IS A GROUP THAT WAS ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINATION IN WISCONSIN ON MARCH 1st, PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY BUT NOT NECESSARILY DOING THE FRONTLINE DIRECT PATIENT CARE, BUT NONETHELESS ESSENTIAL TO THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY. I SPOKE TO A GUY IN MADISON IN THAT GROUP. HE TRIED FOR THREE DAYS TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT IN MADISON. HE FOUND THE TIPS E-MAIL, WAKING UP, SCHEDULING AT WALGREENS AT 6:00 IN THE MORNING AND WAS NOT WORKING. HE'S FROM BEAVER DAM. ON THE FOURTH DAY, THE DOG WOKE HIM UP BEGGING TO GO OUTSIDE, THEN THAT HAZE, YOU KNOW, EARLY MORNING HAZE, NOT QUITE AWAKE, HE HAD THE REALIZATION, OH, HEY, I CAN TRY TO SCHEDULE IN BEAVER DAM. HE WENT ONLINE AND BOOKED IT IN ONE TRY. BEING WILLING TO TRAVEL IF YOU ARE ABLE TO, THAT'S A DECENT TIP THAT'S BEEN WORKING FOR PEOPLE. A FOURTH TIP IS TO ASK ABOUT THESE LEFTOVER DOSES. SOME PHARMACIES AND VACCINATION SITES ARE DOING THESE KINDS OF LISTS. SOME AREN'T. IT CAN'T HURT TO ASK, TO CALL, OR EVEN SHOW UP. PEOPLE HAD SUCCESS JUST SHOWING UP AT A VACCINATION SITE TOWARDS THE END OF THE DAY SAYING, YOU GOT ANY LEFTOVER DOSES I CAN GET? AND THE FINAL TIP THERE WAS TO SEE IF YOU CAN FIND A WALK-IN CLINIC. I SPOKE TO A PHARMACIST AT HYATT PHARMACY IN MILWAUKEE, AND THEY GOT SEVERAL LOCATIONS, BUT THEY HAVE A WALK-IN VACCINATION CLINIC. THEY THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD WAY THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO EXTEND VACCINATIONS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE MAYBE FACING SOME OF THE CHALLENGES LIKE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE AN E-MAIL ADDRESS, PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE INTERNET ACCESS TO SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS UP FRONT. THEY HAVE A WALK-IN CLINIC WHERE YOU JUST SHOW UP, FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE, AND YOU HAVE TO BE ELIGIBLE, AND IF YOU ARE AND SHOW UP, YOU GET IN LINE AND POTENTIALLY GET A VACCINE THAT WAY. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE TIPS THAT PEOPLE ARE USING TO GET DOSES FOR THEMSELVES, AND FOR OTHER LOVED ONES. >> SO THAT WHOLE PROCESS, AS YOU SAID, CAN BE VERY TIME INTENSIVE AND SOME PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THAT TIME. HOW INTENSE SHOULD PEOPLE GET WITH THEIR SEARCH? ON THE FLIPSIDE, IF SOMEONE DOESN'T NEED A VACCINE RIGHT AWAY, IF THEY ARE NOT WORKING IN A HOSPITAL OR CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL WORKER, THEY CAN STAY HOME TO KEEP WORKING, SHOULD THEY BE HOLDING OFF MORE SO THOSE WHO ARE STILL IN SEARCH OF A VACCINE CAN GET IN FRONT OF THE LINE? >> I MEAN, GREAT QUESTION, REALLY IS. IT GETS AT LOGISTICS, ETHICS, AND IT IS A QUESTION I DON'T HAVE THE GREATEST ANSWER TO, BUT HERE'S A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT WE DO KNOW. NUMBER ONE, I MEAN, REALLY, PEOPLE, IF YOU HAVE INTERNET, IF YOU HAVE TECHNICAL SAVVY, IF YOU HAVE TIME, THAT'S A REALLY DISTINCT ADVANTAGE FOR PEOPLE TO GET IN VACCINE APPOINTMENTS AND GETTING THAT DONE. WHAT SOME PEOPLE ARE DOING IS SAYING, I WANT TO USE MY RESOURCES, I WANT TO USE MY KNOW-HOW, I WANT TO USE THE TIME I HAVE AVAILABLE TO ME TO HELP SCHEDULE OTHER PEOPLE. THAT'S SOMETHING WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE FACEBOOK GROUP CALLED MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN AREA VACCINE HUNTERS AND ANGELS. THAT'S THE ANGEL PART. THERE ARE PEOPLE WILLING TO DO THAT WORK FOR YOU, IF YOU ARE UNABLE, FOR WHATEVER REASON, A TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIER, TIME BARRIER, THINGS LIKE THAT, THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE SPENDING THEIR TIME DOING THAT. I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GREAT THING. IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY GETTING THE DOSES, SHOULD YOU TAKE IT, SHOULD YOU NOT, I MEAN, THE GENERAL RECOMMENDATION IS IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A DOSE, YOU SHOULD GO AHEAD AND DO IT. WE'RE -- WE WANT TO GET PEOPLE VACCINATED AND REACH THE THRESHOLD OF HERD IMMUNITY IN THE STATE, AND IF WE CAN DO THAT, THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY GOOD THING, AND THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, I FEEL IT MYSELF, THERE'S A LOT OF, LIKE, KIND OF AM FEELINGS SEEING YOUNGER PEOPLE VACCINATED BECAUSE THEY QUALIFY FOR A REASON, BUT, YOU KNOW, MY 64-YEAR-OLD MOTHER-IN-LAW HAS BEEN UNABLE TO GET VACCINATED SO FAR. SHE'S IN MISSOURI, BUT OTHER PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, YOUNGER PEOPLE, WHO MAYBE WORK FROM HOME BUT ARE ESSENTIAL PARTS OF THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY ARE GETTING VACCINATIONS, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN DO. WE'RE IN A REALLY INTENSE PRESSURE MOMENT. EVERYBODY WANTS TO GET VACCINATED, EVERYONE WANTS TO, YOU KNOW, PROTECT THEMSELVES AND PROTECT THEIR COMMUNITY, AND THERE'S A LOT OF SPACE THERE TO FEEL THOSE THOUGHTS, AND I THINK THE GENERAL GUIDANCE IS IF YOU CAN GET A VACCINE, IT IS PROBABLY A GOOD THING. WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS HERD IMMUNITY, BUT PEOPLE ARE, IT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE, THAT PEOPLE ARE USING THEIR RESOURCES, THEIR CONNECTIONS, THEIR KNOW-HOEHOW TO HELP OTHERS GET VACCINATED AS WELL. THAT'S A GOOD THING THAT I KNOW, PERSONALLY SPEAKING, I WOULD WANT TO ENCOURAGE. >> NOW, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES KEEPS OPENING UP THESE ELIGIBILITY GROUPS AS YOU MENTIONED. MONDAY IS ONE OF THEM. PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS, CERTAIN HEALTH CONDITIONS, THAT ARE OVER THE AGE OF 16 WILL NOW BE ELIGIBLE OR STARTING MONDAY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINE, BUT AFTER THAT, THEY ROUGHLY ESTIMATE MAY 1st THEY MAY CHANGE THAT DATE TO OPEN UP TO THE GENERAL POPULATION. IS THE STATE OPENING UP ELIGIBILITY GROUPS TOO FAST? IS THE DEMAND FAR OUTPACING THE SUPPLY? >> RIGHT. THIS IS WHERE WE NEED TO LOOK AT PERCENT OF VACCINE DOSES USED. WISCONSIN, IT'S BEEN CONSISTENT. WE LEAD THE COUNTRY AT 94% TO 95% OF THE DOSES BEING USED. THAT SUGGESTS A HUGE AMOUNT OF DEMAND. THAT SUGGESTS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINES ARE GETTING THEIR VACCINES. IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER STATES THAT HAVE OPENED THINGS UP MORE QUICKLY, I THINK RECENTLY, INDIANA AND OHIO HAVE OPENED UP THEIR ELIGIBILITY TO PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, AROUND THE AGE OF 40. THEY REALLY LOWERED THE THRESHOLDS THERE. IF YOU LOOK AT PERCENT OF DOSES USED, THEY ARE AT 80% TO 85%. THAT MEANS THAT 15% TO 20% OF THE DOSES THEY HAVE IN THOSE STATES ARE NOT GETTING INTO ARMS, SO IT MAKES SENSE TO OPEN UP ELIGIBILITY TO GET SHOTS INTO ARMS IN THOSE PLACES. RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T -- WE HAVE HUGE DEMAND. I'VE BEEN SURPRISED THEY MOVED UP ELIGIBILITY FOR THE GROUP THAT WAS INITIALLY GOING TO BE -- THE GROUP WITH PEOPLE IN CERTAIN HEALTH CONDITIONS INITIALLY ELIGIBLE ON MARCH 29th NOW ELIGIBLE A WEEK EARLIER, MARCH 22nd. I'VE BEEN SURPRISED BY THAT, BUT I THINK IT SAYS SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO WHAT THE STATE SAID WHEN THEY MADE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT WITH WHAT THE GOVERNOR SAID, THAT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT THE SUPPLY, OPTIMISM ABOUT THE SUPPLY OF DOSES THAT WE'RE HAVING, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I -- I'VE BEEN SURPRISED WITH HOW QUICKLY WE ARE OPENING UP CONSIDERING HOW MUCH DEMAND THERE IS IN THE STATE, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, THAT'S A GOOD THING, AND MAKING EVERYBODY ELIGIBLE BY MAY 1st, SEEMS STATE OFFICIALS ARE OPTIMISTIC THEY CAN SEE THAT, THAT'S A GREAT THING. >> YESTERDAY, MILWAUKEE OPENED UP ELIGIBILITY TO SPECIFIC ZIP CODES BASED ON THE CDC'S SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX, AND IT WAS JUST ANNOUNCED AGAIN THAT THE MONDAY START DATE FOR PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS CAN BE OPENED UP. WITH THAT, IT CAN BE HARD TO KEEP UP AND KEEP TRACK AS MONDAY'S DATE WAS ACTUALLY MOVED UP A WEEK THAN ORIGINALLY PLANNED, SO HOW DOES SOMEONE KNOW FOR SURE WHERE THEY FALL, AND ARE THERE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES TO GETTING A VACCINE WHEN YOU WERE NOT TECHNICALLY ELIGIBLE YET? >> YEAH. ONE MORE TO THROW IN THERE WITH YOU IS THAT RESTAURANT WORKERS BECAME ELIGIBLE, BASICALLY, RIGHT AWAY EARLIER THIS WEEK. SO, YEAH, IT CHANGES QUICKLY. ELIGIBILITY IS HAPPENING RAPIDLY. THE STATE IS DOING A DECENT JOB, I THINK, OF MAKING THOSE ANNOUNCEMENTS, GETTING THAT OUT THROUGH THE MEDIA, AND IMPORTANTLY, UPDATING THE WEBSITE. IF YOU GO TO WISCONSIN'S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH VACCINATION WEBSITES, THEY DO A DECENT JOB OF UPDATING WHO IS ELIGIBLE NOW AND ALSO THE NEXT GROUPS THAT WILL BE ELIGIBLE AND WHEN THEY WILL BE ELIGIBLE. THEY ARE TRYING TO KEEP THAT INFORMATION UP-TO-DATE. THEY ARE DOING A GOOD JOB OF THAT, BUT THERE ARE ISSUES THERE, SO, YOU KNOW, I'M A TYPE 1 DIABETIC, I'M IN THE GROUP THAT WAS GOING TO BE ELIGIBLE MARCH 29th THAT THEN BECAME ELIGIBLE A WEEK EARLIER, AND, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS THAT INFORMATION CAME OUT, WE'RE ON THE PHONE, MY WIFE AND I, SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS FOR ME, AND THE VACCINATION SITES WERE NOT AWARE OF THE CHANGE YET. WE WERE AHEAD OF THE NEWS CYCLE, BUT THIS WAS JUST YESTERDAY, YOU KNOW, AND, TODAY, THE NEWS IS OUT THAT THEY ARE -- THEY ARE STARTING TO SCHEDULE THE GROUP, THE 1C GROUP, IT'S CALLED, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LO LO LOGL HURDLES THERE, BUT WE ARE DOING A GOOD JOB. YOU CAN SEE THE INFORMATION, AND THE STATE IS DOING A DECENT JOB KEEPING INFORMATION UPDATED FOR THE PUBLIC SO YOU CAN SEARCH IT. IN TERMS OF GETTING VACCINE APPOINTMENTS IF YOU DO NOT QUALIFY YET, I MEAN, WE'RE SEEING WE'RE ON THE HONOR SYSTEM. IF YOU TALK TO VACCINATION SITES, YOU KNOW, THERE'S HESITANCY -- IT IS NOT THEIR JOB TO POLICE WHETHER YOU ARE ELIGIBLE OR NOT. THEY ARE GOING TO ASK FOR CERTAIN DOCUMENTATION TO SHOW YOU'RE IN THE GROUP, MAYBE IT'S A PAY STUB FROM YOUR EMPLOYER TO SHOW THAT YOU ARE, IN FACT, ELIGIBLE. MAYBE IT IS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR CHRONIC CONDITION. THEY ASK FOR THAT DOCUMENTATION, BUT, ULTIMATELY, THE VACCINATION SITES I SPEAK TO SAY IT'S NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. THEY DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE POSITION OF POLICING THAT. IT IS REALLY IS ON THE HONOR SYSTEM, AND IT IS ON US TO KIND OF WAIT OUR TURN TO MAKE SURE THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE GETTING THEIR DOSES, WHO ARE ELIGIBLE, AND, YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, 95% OF THE DOSES ARE INTO ARMS, WHICH MEANS THAT THAT NEED IS OUT THERE. WE ARE NOT WASTING A HUGE AMOUNT OR SITTING ON VACCINES WHEN PEOPLE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE AND WANT IT ARE GETTING IT AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN GET THAT IS A GOOD THING TO DO. >> NOW, AS WE SPOKE TO EARLIER, PHASE 2, WHICH IS THE GENERAL POPULATION, DHS ESTIMATES MAY 1st, AT THIS POINT, SUBJECT TO CHANGE, IF IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET VACCINATED NOW WITH THESE MORE LIMITED GROUPS RELATIVELY, ONLY ELIGIBLE, AND THAT'S ABOUT 20% OF THE STATE SO FAR, WILL THE DOORS KIND OF BLOW WIDE OPEN WHEN PHASE 2 HITS? WILL IT BE A FREE-FOR-ALL? WILL IT WILL FAIR? WILL IT BECOME HARDER FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS TO GET A VACCINE IF THEY NEED IT? >> I MEAN, IT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. SO TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, YOU CAN SAY THE GATES ARE REALLY BLOWING OPEN ON MONDAY BECAUSE OF THE BODY MASS INDEX THAT THE STATE REQUIRES, THE THRESHOLD OF BODY MASS INDEX THAT MAKES YOU ELIGIBLE FOR A VACCINE IS LOW IN WISCONSIN. I BELIEVE IT'S A BMI OF 25 OR IN MISSOURI, MY HOME STATE WHERE MY IN-LAWS ARE, IT'S A BMI OF 40, A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE. TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, I THINK THE GATES ARE BLOWING OPEN NOW. THE STATE IS AWARE OF THIS. THE STATE IS AWARE OF ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. IF THEY ARE OPENING UP THE CATEGORY A WEEK EARLY, EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW SO MANY PEOPLE WOULD POTENTIALLY QUALIFY, I THINK THAT SUGGESTS THAT THEY ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THEIR VACCINE SUPPLY, AND SO, YOU KNOW, AS WE GO ON TRYING TO VACCINATE THE STATE, WE ARE HEARING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MORE VACCINES ARE BEING MANUFACTURED, MORE VACCINES ARE POTENTIALLY GETTING APPROVED, AND THERE'S SOME OPTIMISM ABOUT THE VACCINE SUPPLY SO I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK IT'S ANY MORE DIFFICULT TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. I COULD BE WRONG HERE AND COULD EAT CROW, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARILY GOING TO BE MORE DIFFICULT COME APRIL TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT ONCE THE GENERAL POPULATION BECOMES ELIGIBLE. IT IS GOING TO BE ON MONDAY. HOPEFULLY, THAT'S GIVEN ENOUGH TIME FOR THESE VACCINATION SITES TO FIGURE OUT THE LOGISTICS, TO FIGURE OUT ONLINE PROGRAMMING, ONLINE SCHEDULING, TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, MAYBE WE NEED WALK-IN CLINICS OR FIGURE OUT, OH, WE NEED POPUP CLINICS OR MASS VACCINATION SITES. IT GIVES MORE TIME FOR THOSE THINGS TO WORK OUT THE KINKS AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, SOUNDS LIKE WE ARE OPTIMISTIC THAT THE SUPPLY WILL THEN BE THERE TO REALLY GET THE WHOLE POPULATION VACCINATED. >> ALL RIGHT. WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE. LOTS OF GREAT INFORMATION. BRAM SABLE-SMITH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU ON MONDAY GETTING YOUR VACCINE. >> PLEASURE, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, AND THANKS SO MUCH! >> FOR MORE FROM "HEAR & NOW" AND PBS WISCONSIN, VISIT PBSWISCONSIN.ORG AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON "NOON WEDNESDAY."