Illinois and Chicago will both begin the next phase of their vaccination plan from Monday, but not everyone eligible in that phase will receive the vaccine at the outset, officials said Friday.
Phase 1b, which includes about 3.2 million residents, focuses on residents 65 and older and ‘essential workers’, including first responders, teachers such as teachers and support staff, child care workers, grocery stores, postal workers and more.
Government JB Pritzker said although the state still plans to start the phase from Monday, there will be restrictions based on how much vaccine the state receives.
“However, this does not mean that you can get the vaccine as soon as you can get the flu shot,” Pritzker said. “Because federal vaccine production is hampered by the previous government’s failure to properly enact the Defense Production Act, the supply of vaccines is still limited across the country. There are additional vaccines in the pipeline that may soon receive FDA approval. , and it will help But there are 3.2 million Illinoisians in Phase 1B, so there will be far greater demand than supply in the short term – to put it in perspective, we expect about 126,000 first doses next week outside Chicago “4 percent of the 1B population. Until the vaccine supply improves, we will all have to be patient.”
Pritzker said the state is working to build capacity and hopes to see an increase in doses in the coming weeks.
From Jan. 25, National Guard-led sites will vaccinate eligible residents under Phase 1b, as well as sites at CVS, Jewel Osco and Walgreens, Pritzker said. There are six vaccination sites in Cook County manned by the National Guard, with 24 additional teams deployed over the next three weeks.
Pritzker says by February 1, additional pharmacies, including Hy-Vee, Mariano’s and Kroger, will also start vaccinating.
“Due to the limitations on supply, I would like to emphasize again that vaccination should only be done by appointment. Please do not try to deposit at the store or call your local pharmacy. If there is a steady stream vaccine is coming in from the federal government, we will start boarding and 24-hour operations, ‘Pritzker said.
Illinois health officials announced Friday the launch of a nationwide coronavirus vaccination note-taking note.
“As we increase the ability to make vaccine widely available, we will launch a worldwide website to provide more information so you can make an appointment to be vaccinated,” Pritzker said Friday.
While residents already have access to the state’s coronavirus website, appointments are not yet available. Once appointments are available, residents can access a link they send to their local health care provider to coordinate when and where to receive the vaccine, officials said.
Pritzker noted that some pharmacies, such as Walgreens, already have an appointment website online, and others are expected to follow soon.
In Chicago, there are four ways residents can get vaccinated, the city’s top doctor said this week.
Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the public health department, said the options include a medical system or healthcare provider, pharmacies, a dedicated vaccination facility such as the delivery points or an employer.
Although anyone eligible for the vaccine in the next phase is eligible to receive it, Chicago’s Phase 1b is aimed at prioritizing certain populations, Arwady said.
“So I want people to hear from the beginning that even if the phase opens, most people will not be able to get vaccinated immediately that first week, even the second week, etc.,” Arwady said, adding that she hopes to get most people vaccinated in phase 1b until February and March.
For those who receive the vaccine through the city, preference will be given to those at greatest risk and to “lower the barriers,” Arwady said.
“The way it will run out broadly is that someone who is in 65 or these essential workers in the course of February and March will be eligible for vaccination,” Arwady said. “And if, for example, I am a grocery store worker, or I am a teacher, or if I work in public transport, and I have an appointment with my doctor, for example, my doctor can vaccinate me to Jan at any stage. 25 ‘but we will also work to bring vaccine to employers, to work with employers to reduce barriers to these groups getting vaccine.’
At the beginning of phase 1B, the city plans to send the vaccine to correctional facilities and first responders.
“It was already going on because we vaccinated health workers in the area, whether it’s the emergency medical staff in the ambulances, or it’s people in the correctional facilities doing health care,” Arwady said. . “The plans are therefore in place and there will also be more workers online. These are the institutions where we have seen the most COVID cases, the most outbreaks. Every case we encounter in these institutions indirectly prevents many other cases, get us past COVID, lower the risk when people go back to communities, which is really essential to get the workers vaccinated. “
In February, the city will, depending on the availability of vaccines, switch to making vaccines available to employers of grocery stores and manufacturing and factory establishments.
Then, later in February, the city plans to send vaccine to employers of day care workers and educators.
“K to 12, educators in early childhood, private parochial public – does not matter. All educators are going to be pre-arranged to plan a little later in February,” Arwady said. “And it’s going well now.”
Arwady said it would take weeks for each group to be vaccinated.
After March, depending on the availability of vaccines, the vaccines expand to employers of public transport workers, agricultural workers, government workers, postal workers and more.
Although Illinois has not yet set the dates for future vaccination phases, Chicago officials said Phase 1c could come at the end of March and Phase 2, which includes all residents over the age of 16, could begin on May 31.
Earlier this week, healthcare providers were allowed to offer any “remaining doses” of coronavirus vaccines to people over the age of 65 who live or work in Chicago in what is being described as a modified phase of the city’s vaccination plan.
Chicago officials say the best way to get vaccination updates is through the Chi COVID Coach, a platform used by the Chicago Department of Public Health to monitor symptoms, provide information on testing in the Chicago area. city and helps you get the latest information about the city’s vaccination plan – including notice when you can register to get your vaccination.
You can sign up for Chi COVID Coach here.
According to the health department, 572,389 vaccines against coronavirus were administered in Illinois on Wednesday night, including 90,752 for long-term care institutions, according to the Department of Health. On Wednesday, a total of 34,649 doses were administered.
Here is a look at who will be included in Phase 1b:
- Residents 65 years and older
- Frontline Essential Workers, meaning “residents who are at higher risk for COVID-19 exposure due to their work duties, often because they are unable to work from home, and / or now have to work for others without take a social distance, which includes:
- First responders: Fire, law enforcement, 911 workers, security personnel, school officials
- Education: Teachers, principals, student support, student aids, day care worker
- Food and agriculture: Processing, plants, veterinary health, livestock services, animal care
- Manufacture: Industrial production of goods for distribution to retail, wholesale or other products
- Corrections workers and prisoners: Prison officers, youth staff, personal support workers, prisoners
- USPS workers
- Public transport workers: Flight staff, bus drivers, train conductors, taxi drivers, para-transit drivers, personal support, ride-sharing services
- Grocery Stores: Excavators, cashiers, stockers, bakkie, customer service
- Shelters and day care staff: Homeless shelter, women’s shelter, adult / day delivery program, sheltered workshop, psychosocial rehabilitation