City’s New Vaccine Scheduling Tool Fills Up Quickly

Are you a city of Milwaukee resident that is age 65 or older and looking to get a COVID-19 vaccine shot?

The Milwaukee Health Department is offering a new website, mke-vaccines.egov.com, to signup directly for an appointment.

The site, and an associated hotline, allow an individual to select a date and time to get the vaccine at the Wisconsin Center.

But demand continues to far outstrip supply. The site launched at 2 p.m. and by 2:30 p.m. it was already showing “no availability.”

A health department spokesperson said the next time people should check back is Friday, when the city will have a better understanding of how many doses the state Department of Health Services is allocating it for next week.

The site does not offer an option to enter a waiting list.

The health department hopes to vaccinate 4,000 people at the convention center this week, including eligible city employees receiving their second shot. It is requesting 5,000 doses for next week.

“Availability of the vaccine makes all the difference with all these numbers,” said interim Health Commissioner Marlaina Jackson on Tuesday during a media briefing.

The state previously estimated there are 700,000 residents over the age of 64 and reported it was receiving 70,000 combined doses per week of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

To set up an appointment on the city website, you will need both an email address and phone number. Residents without a phone number, email address or internet access are encouraged to call 414-286-6800. Jackson said doses will be set aside for individuals that only have phone access.

The city is just one of several entities receiving vaccine allocations from the state. Eligible individuals are also encouraged to contact their health care provider to schedule an appointment.

The health commissioner said the city hopes to vaccinate individuals that are uninsured or members of underserved communities. The vaccination is free.

Jackson said individuals would be checked in advance and in person to make sure they met state eligibility requirements for vaccination. The city is not currently offering its vaccine allotment to food workers, though those individuals are eligible to get the vaccine through other providers.

The health department website provides information, in multiple languages, on which groups are eligible to receive the vaccine.

The city is no longer encouraging people to sign up on the HealthyMKE.com website.