Illinois health officials announced the launch of a statewide supplement to their coronavirus vaccination website on Friday, which should provide more effective doses.
“As we increase the capacity to make vaccines widely available, we will be launching a statewide website to provide more information so you can schedule an appointment to get vaccinated,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said. a press conference.
Illinoisans already have access to the state’s coronavirus website, which provides the vaccination plan, Restore Illinois plan, and information about the pandemic. Once appointments are available, residents will have access to a link that will take them to their local healthcare provider to coordinate where and when to get the vaccine.
Pritzker added that some pharmacies, such as Walgreens, already have an online appointment website, while others are expected to follow soon.
“While it will be difficult to get appointments for a while, more and more times will become available as our state gets more and more doses,” he said.
Pritzker announced last week that the state will begin the next phase of vaccination, also known as Phase 1B, on Jan. 25. Phase 1B will encompass approximately 3.2 million Illinois residents, according to the state.
Phase 1B includes anyone over the age of 65, as well as key priority frontline workers such as first responders, people working in prisons, grocery store workers, day care workers, people working in production environments, educators and those in school environments, public transportation workers, postmen others.
Pritzker said last week that the state will “step up” hundreds of vaccination sites across the state, including pharmacy chains, Illinois National Guard mobile teams, state-run mass vaccination sites in northern, central and southern Illinois, hospitals and emergency care sites. , and eventually doctors’ offices and large employers who can host their own work clinics “
The Illinois National Guard was also activated to help local health departments expand vaccination clinics, Pritzker said, with the first two teams based at Cook County Health Department sites.
Starting Jan. 25, the National Guard-led sites will begin to vaccinate residents eligible for Phase 1B, as will sites at CVS, Jewel Osco and Walgreens, Pritzker said.
All of those vaccination sites will be by appointment only, Pritzker said, asking residents not to queue at the store or call their local pharmacy, but rather use the website as soon as it’s available.
Chicago is currently preparing to enter the next phase of vaccination along with the rest of Illinois on Monday, freeing up doses for front-line workers and those over 65.
But the city’s top doctor warned Thursday that the number of appointments for those who qualify will be “very limited,” and urges patience, as she said most people who qualify for vaccinations are likely to be in this next phase. will have to wait a few weeks.
Dr. Chicago Department of Health Commissioner Allison Arwady said the city is not receiving “ anywhere near enough ” doses from the federal government to vaccinate anyone eligible – a trend that has been happening nationwide since the shipment. last month.
“I want to stress that we don’t have enough vaccine anywhere to vaccinate close to the number of people who want to be vaccinated starting Monday,” Arwady said. “I’m really happy that there is so much demand here. We don’t waste a vaccine, we didn’t waste a vaccine in Chicago in one day, we won’t waste a vaccine in the future.”
But she noted that Chicago has more than 360,000 residents over the age of 65 and more than 300,000 people working in some of the sectors eligible for Phase 1B vaccination.
Arwady said on Thursday that there are four ways residents can get vaccinated against COVID-19: through their medical system or healthcare provider, through pharmacies, through a special vaccination site such as the dispensing points, or through their employer. .
Arwady said the first way, through the residents’ individual medical systems, is how most people will be vaccinated. That includes primary care physicians, federally qualified health centers, hospitals and other health systems, she said, noting that many of those systems were already contacting “some of their most vulnerable patients” to make appointments.
Arwady said regarding the second way, through pharmacies, the city had registered more than 100 pharmacies across Chicago and would share more information Monday on how to sign up for an appointment that way.
The third way will be through massive vaccination sites like Chicago’s “POD” sites, Arwady said. The city had launched six of the PODs at City Colleges locations, which she noted are still for health professionals, not the general public, and by appointment only.
Arwady said the fourth way Chicagoans can get vaccinated through their employers is the way she’s gotten the most inquiries.
Earlier this week, Arwady released new details on the city’s vaccine distribution plan, including preliminary dates for when each of the next stages could begin, with the goal of opening vaccinations to all Chicago residents over the age of 16 by the end of May.
Arwady announced in a livestream on Tuesday that the city will provisionally watch Phase 1C, on March 29, followed by Phase 2 on May 31.
Stage 1C includes all essential workers who were not treated in previous stages, as well as Chicagoans between the ages of 16 and 64 who have underlying medical conditions, Arwady said.
“Looking ahead to Phase 2, where a vaccine is actually available for all Chicago residents, we are tentatively saying that this could begin on May 31, at the end of May. All these numbers for Phase 1C and Phase 2 are subject to change, but just to give people a good idea of what we’re thinking, ”Arwady said.
Arwady again noted on Thursday that those eligible for Phase 1B vaccinations, starting Monday, will not need to register anywhere yet, but the option may be available soon.
Chicago officials say the best way to get updates on vaccine rollouts is through “ Chi COVID Coach, ” a platform that the Chicago Department of Public Health uses to monitor symptoms, provide information about city testing and help you get the latest details on the city’s vaccination plan – including notification when you can register to get your vaccine.
You can sign up for Chi COVID Coach here.