People With BMI Of 25 Or Above Will Be Eligible Vaccination By March 29 In Wisconsin

There are 20 conditions, which will make people eligible for vaccination in the next big group in Wisconsin. These 20 conditions include body mass index as well, which has been garnering much attention these days. Health experts have said that anyone who is in the age range of 16 years or above with a BMI of 25 or higher will be eligible to receive the vaccine from March 29. With the new condition, around 2 million residents of Wisconsin will be getting the vaccine in the next phase of the vaccination. The next phase of the vaccination will include people who are dealing with asthma, cancer, and Down syndrome. There are many studies, which show that being overweight and obese can lead to a severe reaction to coronavirus. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well has said that obesity might increase the risk of hospitalization due to COVID19 by threefold. The agency has warned that as people’s body mass index (BMI) shoots up, the risk of COVID19 as well increases. Experts have said that just like there are different degrees of asthma and diabetes, there are different degrees of being overweight as well. They have said that people with a BMI of 25 can look slim and thin. Though muscle mass is a contributing factor, people can have BMIs, which are increased for people, who might not have the same levels of risk.

Health workers are going to decide who will be receiving the vaccine first as young, muscular athletes as well have become eligible for vaccine the same day as cancer patients and people with other underlying health issues. The Directorate of Health Services (DHS) has said that there are some ways that will help pharmacies, public health departments, and health systems to make this happen. Experts have said that prioritizing people with two or more underlying health issues or starting with younger people who are in the age range of 50 to 64 years with one high-risk condition then moving to a younger age group will be feasible.

However, health authorities have yet not decided how they are going to prioritize the next group for vaccination. Dr. Matt Anderson at UW health has said that most probably the process will depend on people to help identify them as eligible for vaccination in order to avoid further lapse. Health experts have said that the process of identifying people who are eligible for the next phase of vaccination is not going to be easy. There is a possibility that there will be someone who is young and a little overweight but relatively healthy getting the shot before a person who is dealing with a severe health condition. Dr. Anderson has urged young people to be a little patient and allow people who are at a higher risk of being contracting the virus to receive the vaccine first.