While there have been hiccups in the vaccine rollout nationally, rural Wisconsin faces additional challenges. Rural public officials have limited resources and have been understaffed for months. Nationally, Wisconsin ranks near the bottom when it comes to public health funding. Nearly ten rural counties do not have a CVS or Walgreens, the national pharmacy chains that have partnered with the federal government for vaccinations and Florence County has no pharmacy at all. With 65,000 Wisconsinites having completed their vaccination shots, Wisconsin has one of the lowest vaccination rates.
Rural Reporter