Law enforcement starts to receive COVID-19 vaccine

NOW: Law enforcement starts to receive COVID-19 vaccine

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Law enforcement personnel has started to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. 

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced last week that police and fire personnel would be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine beginning Jan. 18, beginning the first step into phase 1B for Wisconsin. 

The Racine County Sheriff's Office says law enforcement will have the opportunity to be vaccinated this week. Sheriff Christopher Schmaling received his first dose. 

Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow said Monday that staff at the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office and Juvenile Center received their first dose of the vaccine. 

Other officers in Waukesha County received the vaccine through a partnership with a county fire department and Waukesha County Public Health. 

"Our days been full of police and other health care workers so they're really excited to be here and part of it," said Tanya Reynen, who helped with the vaccine distribution, "They've been on the front lines of this just as much as we have. Sometimes they respond into a situation before they even know the whole story, and so they're in and possibly exposed even more than we would be, so it's really good to be able to protect them as well."

Waukesha County Public Health says the vaccination clinic is not open to the general public and that there is no list for the general public to add their names to get the vaccine any faster than others in the priority phase. 

The Greendale Health Department said it had started vaccinating law enforcement. Other area other departments told CBS 58 they are starting Tuesday or later this week. 

DHS says local health departments will be leading the coordination for the vaccination of police and fire personnel, as well as Emergency Medical Services and unaffiliated health care providers in their jurisdictions.

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