GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Some of Northeast Wisconsin’s counties are seeing disparities in vaccine rates. While some parts of a county may have a 70% vaccine rate, other parts are just over 30%.
Brown, Winnebago and Outagamie counties have all achieved vaccination rates over 50%, according to Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services data. But on a closer scale, there are significant differences in vaccination rates within each county.
Some of Northeast Wisconsin’s counties are seeing disparities in vaccine rates. While some parts of a county may have a 70% vaccine rate, other parts are just over 30%.
“There’s a variety of barriers we need to keep breaking down,” said Dr. Ashok Rai, president and CEO of Prevea Health.
DHS breaks down vaccination rates by census tracts, a small statistical subdivision. Areas in the lighter blue show a lower percentage of people vaccinated in that area. While the darker blue shows a higher percentage.
Dr. Rai tells FOX 11 one reason for that is because of socio-economic differences.
“When you start talking bout our lower socio-economic groups within Brown County per say, many still don’t have established health care provider for a variety of reasons.”
He also says another major reason for variation in vaccination rates within counties is age.
“When you look to those older age groups that are more susceptible to have a bad outcome to COVID-19, they have really good vaccination rates. It’s that 18 to 45 range that due to a lot of misinformation we haven’t been able to educate well enough to get that population up to the seventies and eighties.”
It’s a problem Bellin Health is also taking note of. To help boost vaccine rates in younger people, Bellin is trying to get the vaccine more accessible to them.
“The 18-year-olds are able to come on in without a parent,” said Sherry LaFond, the primary care operations leader with Bellin Health.
“The younger group we really need to look at time and date so one of the things we’ve done at our community clinic is later hours.”
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