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Early Dane County data shows racial disparity in COVID vaccines

By Courtney Degen | February 18, 2021

Recent data from Public Health Madison & Dane County shows racial disparities for those that have received the COVID-19 vaccine so far, but health experts say this is likely reflective of the state’s limited eligible populations and that organizations across Dane County are working to achieve racial equity.

According to the data, more than 14 percent of Dane County’s white population has been vaccinated so far, while approximately 7.4 percent of the Black population, 5.4 percent of the Hispanic population and 7.2 percent of the Asian population have been vaccinated. 

Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for UW Health, said that it’s important to put these statistics into context, as vaccines are only available to a limited population of Dane County residents. 

Bidar-Sielaff said that given the restricted nature of the vaccine, “it’s hard to arrive at many main conclusions at this point.”

Nikki Conklin looks to bring diverse community voices to the table in District 9

“I believe that District 9 needs a new, young, fresh community leader at the table. All too often, Black, Indigenous people of color are the topic at the table but yet, we’re never at the table,” said District 9 Common Council candidate Nikki Conklin. “And so now, I really feel like this is my chance to shine and break all the odds and be at the table and actually bring the voices of the community to the table so we can be heard.”

Conklin has lived in Wexford Ridge for the last 10 years and has been deeply involved in community engagement including working as a volunteer for the Lussier Community Education Center and as an acting AmeriCorps in which she was both a staff member and sat on the board of directors. She is currently the Communications Consultant for Neighborhood Organizing Institute (NOI).

Council candidate Doug Hyant: communication is top priority

Doug Hyant, the current Chief of Staff for State Representative Mark Spreitzer, is running for Alder of Madison’s Ninth District, representing the far west side. With past experience in electoral politics, and a sharp focus on communication, Hyant says that he is qualified and ready to listen to and represent the voices of district nine. 

“I’m somebody who has been spending my time in my career working to elect people who make government work for people,” Hyant said, “I have the experience of working with communities to come together around a cause or a person, and I want to really take that and apply it to the Madison city council to bring our neighborhoods together and help people feel like our district is the community that it should be.” 

University neighbors welcome students back to town, despite COVID spread

Following a month-long break, UW-Madison students started a new semester on the 25th of January, with a mix of online and in-person classes. The University established new protocols for COVID-19 testing and tracking this semester, including a new app and guidelines for students to get tested twice a week. These safety measures are aimed not only at keeping students safe throughout the spring semester, but also to avoid a rapid spike in cases, similar to what happened at the beginning of the fall semester. While Dane County Executive Joe Parisi would rather see all instruction happening virtually, UW's neighbors don't mind students being back.

More Headlines

Amato seeks to leverage long history in Madison in Common Council race
UW-Madison’s new saliva-based testing regimen creates difficult transition for spring semester
Parents, school officials look to increase MMSD special education staff, improve pay

Read More

  • City Life
    Madison Commons Media Digest, February 28, 2021
    By Lew Friedland | 1 hour ago

    COVID-19 Supply shortage delays COVID-19 vaccination clinics for teachers in Dane County, Chris Rickert, Wisconsin State Journal, Feb. 26.

  • City Life
    Madison Commons, Media Digest February 21, 2021
    By Lew Friedland | February 21, 2021

    COVID-19 Teachers to get priority for COVID-19 vaccine, Dane County public health department says, Chris Rickert, Wisconsin State Journal, Feb. 20.

  • City Life
    Madison Commons Media Digest, February 14, 2021
    By Lew Friedland | February 14, 2021

    Top Story Madison School District will reopen for in-person kindergarten March 9, phase in other grades, Scott Girard, Capital Times, Feb. 10.

  • Featured in Category
    The Bus Stops Here: Madison Needs to Improve Public Transit Without Displacement, Part I
    By John Swindle and Susan De Vos | February 10, 2021

    Transit advocates in Madison and elsewhere are quick to point out that traveling with one less car can save a household on average over $9,000 a year (based on national 2019 figures for traveling 15,000 miles), whether that household goes from having two to one car, one to no car or just not getting a car in the first place. Transit advocates also tout the socially inclusive nature of a public system that serves people of all ages, incomes, ethnicities, and physical abilities.

Recent Posts: WisconsinWatch.org

Wisconsin vaccine eligibility to expand Monday, but supplies remain scarce — 2/26/21

Beginning Monday, Wisconsin will expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to about 700,000 additional residents, even as scarce supplies have left some already eligible residents struggling to schedule appointments.

On Friday, the state Department of Health Services rolled out a new website to help residents find local vaccination clinics.

Wisconsin Weekly: Alleged sexual assault exposes dysfunction in Milwaukee politics

Rape case repercussions; emergency services depleted; Black History Month debated; Wisconsin election fallout lingers; hunters surpass wolf kill quota

Gov. Tony Evers signs bill to start upgrade of Wisconsin’s outdated unemployment aid system — 2/25/21

Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday signed into law legislation to upgrade 1970s-era technology that shares part of the blame for Wisconsin’s failure to quickly deliver unemployment benefits to thousands of residents who lost work during the pandemic.

As Wisconsin school buildings re-open, what should parents consider? — 2/24/21

Today we highlight a WPR story about what parents should consider as they weigh sending their children back to reopening school buildings at this stage of the pandemic.

COVID-19 is killing Wisconsin’s American Indians at highest rate among ethnic groups — 2/23/21

After limiting the spread of COVID-19 early in the pandemic, American Indians are now dying from COVID-19 at a higher rate than any other ethnic group in Wisconsin, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports.

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Madison Commons is a community journalism project powered by University of Wisconsin–Madison’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Our reporters regularly cover neighborhood news and local issues relating to environment, local food issues, education, development, nonprofits, and social justice. We also do special reports, including one on the closing of Oscar Mayer and the achievement gap.

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