The vaccine provider map the Department of Health Services announced today seems rife with errors, based on a small survey of providers listed.
Several reporters across the state reached out to providers listed as having vaccine available for all eligible people, and found that nearly half were not, in fact, offering vaccines, and most that were had no or few available appointments.
For example, the map lists the Mt. Horeb Area School District office as having vaccines available for any eligible population. District officials said they have no vaccine, but had been seeking doses and hoped to be able to vaccinate teachers beginning next week. They said they would not have any for general public.
Mount Horeb Area School District has no vaccine available.
In Marathon County, only three of eight locations listed said they were in fact offering vaccines. The Marathon County Health Department, Sam’s Club and and Pick ‘n’ Save in Wausau are all listed on the map as having vaccines available, but none are taking appointments.
Most Walgreens locations are taking appointments, but the online reservation system only takes appointments three days ahead, and none of those locations had any online appointments available.
Three out of three locations checked in Racine County said they are administering vaccine, but all had waiting lists that were long or full.
“We’ll open up our waiting list and then we’ll kind of shut it down when the list gets too long,” said Tucker Stewart, a pharmacist at Lakeview Pharmacy in Racine County. “I’ve been telling a lot of patients, ‘I’m happy to put you on my list; if you get it somewhere else, all I ask is you let me know so I can put someone else in your spot. I’m happy wherever you get it, that’s the most important thing.’”
Reached by email Friday afternoon, DHS officials said they would look into the issue. We will update this story if they offer more information.
Shereen Siewart of Wausau Pilot & Review and Denise Lockwood-Davis of Racine County Eye contributed to this report.
