Officials move forward on next step to get Wisconsinites the COVID-19 vaccine

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The next phase of the vaccination rollout is moving forward after a state advisory panel approved the plan at a meeting Friday, Jan. 8. 

In Phase 1B, more than one million Wisconsinites will be vaccinated if the plan is approved. 

The plan includes incarcerated people, correctional workers, people 70 years and older, and education workers. 

There were four options on the table for the vaccination rollout plan in Wisconsin, and the subcommittee decided to move forward with the plan for those groups. 

Some members say it's critical that they act quickly to prevent death and life-threatening illness. 

“There’s a trade off between complexity and speed," said Dr. Edward Belongia, with Marshfield Clinic Research Institute. "The more complicated you make it the slower it goes trying to find the people to offer them vaccination so there’s a real price to that and if we have a broad group categorized as essential workers and meanwhile we have people in their 60s with hypertension and diabetes who are waiting. That’s a problem.”

Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) still need to approve the plan.