On Tuesday, January 26, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced that most teachers, school staff and childcare providers will need to wait for several weeks to begin receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. While many schools and districts had expected the vaccine to be available to their staff members sooner than that, we are now hearing that it could be early March until Phase 1B takes effect.

Based on our work with districts across Wisconsin, we have put together this template message to share with staff. Please feel free to use it as you see fit, without attribution.

As always, thank you for all you are doing for the public school students and families of Wisconsin.

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Dear Staff,

On January 26, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced that Phase 1B of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout will include teachers, school staff, and childcare providers.

Additionally, individuals in these professions will receive priority status once we enter Phase 1B, which is expected to occur in early March. The exact timing will depend on the amount of vaccine allocated to the state over the coming weeks.

For information on the state’s current vaccine timeline and allocation, please visit this link: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/vaccine-about.htm#future-eligible-populations.

Staff members of the <DISTRICT NAME> may choose to get vaccinated at a provider of their choosing. The district will also be providing a vaccine opportunity for staff, in partnership with local healthcare providers. We will have more information on this opportunity soon.

If you have questions about whether getting the COVID-19 vaccine is right for you, please consult your healthcare provider. You can also find answers to frequently asked questions on the Wisconsin DHS website, at https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/vaccine-faq.htm.

The availability of these vaccines is incredibly exciting for our entire community. It signals the beginning of the end of the pandemic and the enormous disruptions it has caused to our daily lives. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

<NAME>, <TITLE>
<DISTRICT NAME>