Illinois is following a phased plan to distribute available doses of COVID-19 vaccine since the first vaccine was approved on Dec. 11. So far, the FDA has approved the vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, and the one developed by Moderna.
The state’s distribution plan aligns with the federal guidelines for prioritizing health workers and residents of long-term care facilities. Governor Pritzker announced on January 6 that the state would violate federal guidelines and vaccinate residents over the age of 65. Federal recommendations have since been updated to include people over 65.
The Illinois plan includes two phases, which are divided into sub-phases based on supply and who are eligible for a shot. Phase 1, if a limited amount of doses is available, contains subphases 1a, 1b and 1c.
The first vaccine shipment arrived in Illinois on Dec. 14, and Phase 1a began vaccinations the next day with health workers across the state.
Phase 1b is expanding the suitability for residents over 65, along with essential workers such as firefighters, grocery stores, teachers and inmates.
Phase 1c, still during the limited amount of vaccines, is expanding its suitability for people between the ages of 16 and 64 with high-risk health conditions. It also contains additional categories of essential workers.
Once supply increases sufficiently, the vaccine will be open to the remaining population of Illinois over 16 years of age. The use of COVID-19 vaccines in young children has not yet been approved.
Here is an outline of the state’s plan with detailed outlines of who is eligible in each phase of phase 1.
To date, most local health departments and the Illinois Department of Public Health do not provide specific estimates of when people may receive vaccinations. Public health departments in Chicago and its power centers have released different degrees of surveys and registration tools. For more information on each of these tools, see the links for each country below.
The city of Chicago is currently vaccinating health workers, but officials announced Jan. 8 that they will continue vaccinating residents over the age of 65. To date, no surveys or registration tools for non-health workers have been released in Chicago.
Officials at health care clinics not affiliated with a hospital system are encouraged to complete the city’s survey to find out more about where and when they can be vaccinated.
If you are a health care worker or other category of essential worker, and you live or work in the suburbs of Cook County, you can complete this survey to indicate that you would like to receive the vaccine. The Cook County Department of Public Health will provide more information on the vaccination period when it becomes available.
If you are an administrator or director of a health care facility or other essential workplace, the Cook County Department of Public Health has issued a separate survey to determine employers’ interest in vaccinating their staff. You can access the recording here.
Once the vaccine supply increases, Cook County will follow state guidelines to open the vaccine to the general public. Most of these vaccinations are done at hospitals, clinics and retail pharmacies.
The DuPage County Department of Health follows the state’s phased vaccination guidelines. Although the first phase is limited to essential workers, the elderly and high-risk individuals, officials expect phase 2 vaccinations to open up more widely if there is a greater supply.
If you are an essential worker, aged 65 or under, but have a high risk medical condition, the DuPage County Department of Health is requesting that you complete this survey to take note of weekly vaccinations. . Note that this does not apply to enrolling or enabling a vaccine.
Kane County residents can complete a survey with updates and information on when vaccines are available. The survey is not limited to healthcare providers or other essential workers.
All Lake County residents can use the county’s online registration system to be notified when the COVID-19 vaccine is available to them.
The province has released their AllVax portal, which is different from the surveys offered by other provinces. The Lake County system enables residents to enter their information, and if they are eligible for a vaccine, they will be able to schedule an appointment immediately. Otherwise, they will be notified when they are eligible.
Lake County says more than 175,000 residents are already registered through their portal or about 25% of the country’s population.
The McHenry County Vaccine Survey is for health care providers living and working in McHenry County only. The form does not count as registration for a vaccine, and only indicates interest in more information when it is available.
If you are an essential worker but are not a healthcare provider, are over 65, or have a high risk medical condition, McHenry County must complete a separate survey. This survey also indicates interest in the vaccine, but is not a registration form.
Finally, if you are a McHenry County resident but do not fall into any of the categories above, the health department has another form you can fill out to receive vaccine updates and notifications when available. This form can be found here, about halfway down the page.
The Will County Department of Health also adheres to the phase-in-phase vaccination approach, but they explicitly say that Will County residents should complete this survey.
Once someone qualifies to be vaccinated, Will County Health will contact those who completed the survey to schedule an appointment based on the phased plan.
“Be patient, we will contact you when it’s your turn,” the department said on its website.
Veterans in the Chicago area who meet the requirements can now get the coronavirus vaccine at local hospitals for veterans matters.
Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital in suburban Maywood, offers coronavirus vaccines to veterans over the age of 65, or those with pre-existing medical conditions that put them at risk. Veterans must be patients enrolled by Hines.
Click here to see the criteria for receiving a vaccine from Hines. Call Hines VA at 708-202-2707 or 708-202-7000 if you meet the requirements to determine your vaccination.
The Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago also offers coronavirus vaccines to veterans 65 years and older, or to people in high-risk health categories. Patients at Jesse Brown who meet these criteria will be contacted to schedule appointments.
Veterans served by Lovell Federal Health Center in Lake County can be vaccinated if they are 75 years or older, or if they are chemotherapy, dialysis, or transplant patients. Lovell will call on patients who meet the requirements to plan vaccine vaccinations.