State Health Officials to Phase Out "Phase" for Vaccination Eligibility

Saturday, February 13th, 2021 -- 9:01 AM

(WMTV) Health officials in Wisconsin plan to phase out the term “phase” when they are discussing who is and who is not eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

A spokesperson for Public Health Madison & Dane Co. confirmed to NBC15 that the agency has stopped using the phrases “phase 1B” and “tier 1B” and noted that Dept. of Health Services has abandoned it too.

“It’s much clearer for us to say groups are “currently eligible” and “eligible for vaccine soon” so there isn’t any confusion,” Health Education Coordinator Christy Vogt explained, adding that their website already reflects the change.

DHS will now label those who are able to get the vaccine and those who are on deck simply as “currently eligible populations” and “next groups eligible,” respectively, according to an agency spokesperson.

No one who discussed the change in language indicated that it would affect the rollout. It will not change who is currently eligible nor will it accelerate (or slow down) the rate of new groups being added to the eligibility list.

“We aren’t necessarily moving away from the phases, we are moving away from the terminology of the phases because there is a lot of confusion about who is in 1a, who is in the second phase and so forth,” Rock Co. Public Health Dept. Environmental Health Director Rick Wieterson said.

DHS originally introduced the “phased” vaccination plan, with successive phases including new groups who would be allowed to get vaccinated.  The first of those phases, also known as tiers, was labeled “1A” and included frontline healthcare workers.

However, as the state moved toward the second phase, “1B,” health officials started subdividing it. When the state entered that phase the only members allowed to be vaccinated were police officers and firefighters.

Then, DHS opened vaccinations to those 65 and older, with priority often given to those over 75 years old. But, they too had been included in the original 1B phase, so despite a major change, the so-called phase stayed the same.

Now, health officials are preparing to allow teachers, some public-facing frontline workers like those in food service or public transit, prisoners, and more to receive the vaccine. Yet, they too were part of that same Phase 1B.

So, despite large swaths of the population being added to the approved vaccination list - twice, the state had never officially moved to a new “phase” and still remains in 1B.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.