Vaccination clinic at Panacea canceled

By Patrick Lynn

A COVID-19 vaccination clinic scheduled to take place during this weekend’s Pacelli Panacea has been canceled.

Portage Co. Health Officer Gary Garske confirmed Thursday night there wasn’t enough vaccine for the pop-up clinic due to a shipping delay.

“Previously, through a spoke and hub model overseen by the Department of Health Services, our orders for vaccines were filled from vaccines stored at Marshfield Clinic—our jurisdiction’s hub,” Garske said by email on Thursday. “Recently our jurisdiction’s hub was moved to Prevea Health in Green Bay. With this move, additional days are now required for the delivery of vaccines to our health department. Staff with the Division of Public Health had planned for a pop-up clinic at Panacea this upcoming weekend and unfortunately, that clinic had to be canceled.”

Garske pointed to the recent extension of Gov. Tony Evers’ $100 incentive for citizens to obtain their first dose of the vaccine before Sept. 19 as another reason for the delay.

“This extension caused a greater than expected demand for vaccines at our weekly COVID vaccination clinics and we had to utilize vaccine that was set aside for the Panacea pop-up clinic,” he said. “We have placed an additional order for the vaccine, but we were informed that our order cannot be filled until early next week.”

Garske said the county will be using its current supply of the vaccine for its weekly vaccination clinic until the new order of the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines arrive.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, only 26 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds are fully vaccinated, more than any other age group eligible to receive the vaccine. About 36 percent of 12-to-15-year-olds are fully vaccinated, and almost 50 percent of 16- and 17-year-olds have completed the vaccine series.

Anyone interested in scheduling an appointment for a vaccine can do so online at https://wi-telegov.egov.com/portage-county or by calling 715-345-5907.