COVID-19 vaccine update for the week of May 10

This week Gundersen Health System brings the COVID-19 vaccine to several large companies to vaccinate staff.

Gundersen and the La Crosse County Health Department will provide vaccines to students age 16 and older at high schools in Onalaska, La Crosse, Holmen, West Salem, and Bangor. Families should watch for important vaccine information from their school district.

These partnerships, combined with the hundreds of vaccine doses Gundersen provides daily, get us closer to ending the pandemic.

Also, Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be available to people age 18 and older on May 21 and May 25. (Check MyChart in the coming days or call a Gundersen vaccine location for availability.)

Gundersen patients and non-patients age 16 and older can get the COVID-19 vaccine at Gundersen. You don't need to wait for an invitation to get an appointment.

Walk-in vaccine appointments are available at the Gundersen Onalaska Clinic from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Starting May 19, walk-ins will be available Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Walk-in appointments are also available at select Gundersen regional locations. Check the list of Gundersen locations offering COVID-19 vaccine and call for availability.

Along with walk-in appointments, adult Gundersen patients can schedule their appointment through MyChart or by calling the scheduling line at (608) 775-6829. Adult non-patients can call the scheduling line at (608) 775-6829, option 2, for a vaccine appointment.

Parents or guardians of Gundersen patients ages 16 and 17 must schedule their child's appointment in advance by calling the scheduling line at (608) 775-6829. Pfizer is the only vaccine approved for patients age 16 and 17.

COVID-19 vaccine is the surest way for us to return to normal. The benefits of getting the vaccine developed after decades of research by the world's best medical professionals far outweigh the health risks of getting COVID-19 and the very low risk of severe complications from the vaccine. Getting the vaccine protects you, your family, neighbors and anyone else around you from COVID-19 and the disease variants in our area.