Chicago and Cook County will not expand with Illinois later this month on who is eligible for coronavirus vaccines under phase 1B, officials said Thursday.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Cook County Board President announced the decision in a joint statement, saying the city and province are not receiving enough doses of the vaccine to enable them to qualify along with the rest of the state in a decision of governments JB Pritzker. announced the previous day.
“Our goal is to get as many people vaccinated as quickly and efficiently as possible. That said, our biggest challenge in doing so is the very limited amount of vaccine we receive. As we progress every day with the vaccination of people in 1a and 1b, at the moment we are not being given enough doses to enable us to expand the suitability in these phases, “reads the statement.
‘If we do it in Chicago and Cook County, more than a million people will be added to 1b, and the result would be those currently eligible, including the elderly, frontline essential workers and those in our communities. with the heaviest bite, an equally difficult to get a vaccine, “Lightfoot and Preckwinkle continued.
“These phases have been determined after thorough study and consideration, and are based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We recognize that the Governor has to make difficult choices and needs in this diverse state, but given the limited supply of vaccine, must also make the difficult choices as the leaders of the most populous city and county in the state. We look forward to increasing the suitability as the vaccine supply improves. “
Pritzker announced Wednesday that Illinois will increase admission to Phase 1B from Feb. 25 so that people with a “high-risk medical condition” or comorbidity can be vaccinated. The list includes those with cancer, diabetes, obesity, women who are pregnant, and those with various other conditions.
“In light of an increasing federal vaccine supply, Illinois plans to extend Phase 1B admission on Feb. 25 to people with comorbidities and underlying conditions as defined by the CDC,” the governor’s office said in a statement. “In addition, Illinois will also prioritize people with disabilities.”
“Those younger than 65 and living with disease conditions, such as cancer survivors or people suffering from heart disease, have an increased risk of serious complications or death if they contract COVID-19,” Pritzker said in a statement. forward. in line with the guidelines of the CDC to expand our eligible population as the supply allows, to bring us closer to the point where the vaccine is generally available to anyone who wants it. Meanwhile, I encourage all Illinois residents to wear our masks and follow the softeners so that more of our neighbors are healthy and alive when it’s their turn to get the vaccination line. ”
The extension applies to those 16 and older who would not otherwise be covered in previous admission categories, the state said, adding that they plan to work with local health departments and other providers as admission increases. (Here is a complete list of who is eligible).
For a complete look at where and how to make an appointment in Illinois or where to get vaccine information for your area, click here.
More than 3.2 million Illinois residents are already eligible for Phase 1B vaccinations, which target people aged 65 and older as well as ‘essential workers’.
Despite repeated allegations that the state is struggling to vaccinate those in phase 1B due to the limited supply, Pritzker only this week indicated a 5% increase in doses and said ‘just as soon as we receive enough vaccine, we wasting time on a broader section of our most vulnerable population. ‘
Even when Illinois announced more than 100 new vaccination sites in the past week, officials on Wednesday continued to encourage patience, saying the vaccine supply was limited.
“We are limited by the amount of vaccine available and allocated by the federal government,” the governors’ office said in a release just before Pritzker’s announcement of suitability. “Vaccinations are currently only available by appointment and we encourage people to check back regularly for open appointments. Until the supply is increased, there will be a huge demand and we ask people to be patient.”
Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, made a preview of the decision by Lightfoot and Preckwinkle on Wednesday, saying the city has received just enough vaccine to give doses to 5-10% of those currently eligible come.
Chicago health officials had earlier unveiled a preliminary timeline of vaccination phases, which originally planned to move to Phase 1C on March 29, followed by Phase 2 on May 31. Phase 1C includes all essential workers not covered in earlier phases, as well as Chicagoans between the ages. of 16 and 64 who have underlying medical conditions. But Arwady said earlier this week that Phase 1C could possibly be pushed back based on the offer.
“The reason we really looked at the end of March is based on where we expect to have more vaccine,” Arwady said on Wednesday. ‘I think it would be very appropriate if, for example, there are parts of the state that may have already been through their 1B – they got all their people over 65, they got their essential workers – if there are somewhere in the state with indefinite vaccine appointments , of course it would be appropriate to continue. But here in Chicago, if we now add more people to 1B, that’s all we do to make it harder for the people who are already eligible to get it. that vaccine, and it will make it harder for us to get it from people over 65, which will make it harder for us to get it in the communities hardest hit, because it only dilutes the amount available is. ‘