County vaccine rates slows as case rate remains low

Vaccines for COVID-19 are available in Trempealeau County, but county residents are no longer looking to be vaccinated, according to health officials.

According to the Department of Health Services, fewer than 200 county residents received the initial dose of COVID-19 vaccine last week. Of the 719 doses issued countywide, 537 were residents getting their second doses. Health officials have said vaccines and appointments are available, county residents just aren’t taking them.

“Vaccine demand has decreased,” Kaila Baer, Trempealeau County Health Department, said. “It is likely a combination of people not wanting to get vaccinated or misinformation about the vaccine leading to deciding not to get vaccinated. Access to the vaccine is not limited. People can get it locally in Whitehall or Arcadia. They can also go to any of the walk-in clinics in La Crosse or Eau Claire counties.”

Much of the county’s most vulnerable population has been vaccinated as 92.9 percent of residents who are 65 years old or older have completed the vaccine series. More than half — 64.2 percent — of the county residents who are between 55 and 64 have also been fully vaccinated.

“The largest barrier has been reaching the Hispanic community to provide accurate information on the vaccine,” Baer said.  

According to the DHS, 19.5 percent of the county’s Hispanic population has received at least one dose of the vaccine and 13.6 percent are fully vaccinated.

Baer said that the county health department has offered instruction online, but has not yet yielded results. The health department also hosted an informational session in Spanish along with the Arcadia School District but said it had “very poor turnout.”

“We are still exploring ways to reach this community without our capacity,” Baer said.

Non-Hispanic residents have also stopped being vaccinated as just under half — 49.9 percent — of the rest of the county residents have been vaccinated.

While exact data on the number of people to receive vaccines within specific age groups isn’t available, two percent of the county’s residents between the age of 12 and 15 received the first dose of the vaccine last week. That age group was previously ineligible for the vaccine, which means many of the vaccines administered last week went to a newly-eligible group.

While county residents have stopped being vaccinated the spread of the virus remains low. The DHS reported nine new cases last week, the second straight week with less than 10 for the first time since May 2020. The new cases were spread throughout the county with none of the municipalities having more than two.

“We continue to be hopeful that the spread of COVID-19 will remain low,” Baer said. “The most important thing is for people to get vaccinated if they are eligible.”