Chicago and Cook County will not join Illinois to expand who qualifies for Phase 1B coronavirus vaccinations later this month, officials said Thursday.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the chairman of the Cook County Board released the decision in a joint statement, saying the city and county are not receiving enough doses of the vaccine to allow them to qualify along with the rest of the state. come in a decision Gov. JB Pritzker announced the day before.
“Our goal is to get as many people vaccinated as quickly and efficiently as possible. That said, our biggest challenge is the very limited supply of vaccines that we are getting. As we progress every day in vaccinating people in 1a and 1a. 1b, we are currently not getting enough doses that would allow us to expand appropriateness in these stages, ”the statement read.
“If you did that in Chicago and Cook County, that would add over a million extra people to 1 billion, and the result would be that those who are currently eligible, including seniors, key frontline workers and those in our toughest through COVID burdened communities, an equal It’s harder to get a vaccine, ”Lightfoot and Preckwinkle continued.
“These stages came about after careful study and consideration, and are based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We recognize that the governor must make tough choices and consider the needs in this diverse state, but given that the limited supply of vaccines also have to make the tough choices as the leaders of the most populous city and county in the state. We look forward to expanding eligibility as the vaccine supply improves.
Pritzker announced Wednesday that Illinois would increase eligibility for Phase 1B starting Feb. 25, allowing people with a “high-risk medical condition” or co-morbidities to be vaccinated. The list includes people with cancer, diabetes, obesity, women who are pregnant, and people with various other conditions.
“In light of a steadily growing federal vaccine supply, Illinois is planning to make Phase 1B eligible on Feb. 25 for people with co-morbidities and underlying conditions as defined by the CDC,” the governor’s office said in a press release. “In addition, Illinois will also prioritize individuals with disabilities.”
“Those under the age of 65 living with co-morbid conditions, such as cancer survivors or those with heart disease, have an increased risk of serious complications or death if they contract COVID-19,” Pritzker said in a statement. Illinois is moving forward in line with CDC guidelines to expand our eligible population as supply permits, bringing us closer to the point where the vaccine is widely available to anyone who wants it. I encourage all Illinois residents to wear our masks and follow the mitigation measures so that more of our neighbors are healthy and alive when it is their turn on the vaccination line. “
The extension applies to those ages 16 and older who were not otherwise treated in previous fitness categories, the state said, adding that it plans to partner with local health departments and other health care providers as eligibility grows. (Here’s a full list of who is eligible).
For a full rundown of where and how to book an appointment in Illinois or where to get vaccine information for your area, click here.
Already, more than 3.2 million Illinois residents are eligible for Phase 1B vaccinations, including people 65 and older and “front-line workers.”
Despite repeated claims that the state struggled to vaccinate those in Stage 1B due to limited supplies, Pritzker praised a 5% dose increase this week alone, saying, “Once we get enough vaccine, we shouldn’t waste time protecting a larger proportion of our most vulnerable population. “
But even as Illinois announced more than 100 new vaccination sites last week, officials continued to press for patience on Wednesday, saying vaccine supplies were limited.
“We are limited by the amount of vaccine available and allocated by the federal government,” the governor’s office said in a press release just before Pritzker’s announcement of eligibility. “Vaccinations are currently only available by appointment and we encourage people to regularly review open appointments. Until supply increases, there will be high demand and we are asking people to be patient.”
Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, previewed Lightfoot and Preckwinkle’s decision Wednesday, saying the city had only received enough vaccine to deliver doses to 5-10% of those currently eligible.
Chicago health officials have previously released a preliminary timeline of vaccination phases, originally planning to move to Phase 1C on March 29, followed by Phase 2 on May 31. Phase 1C includes all key workers not treated in previous phases, as well as Chicagoans in between the ages of 16 and 64 who have underlying medical conditions. But Arwady said earlier this week that Phase 1C may be pushed back based on the supply.
“The reason we really looked towards the end of March is based on where we expect to actually get more vaccine,” Arwady said Wednesday. “I think it would be very appropriate if, for example, there are parts of the state that might already be through their 1B – they’ve got all of their people over 65, they’ve got their essential workers – if there is somewhere in the state that vaccination commitments that are not being fulfilled would of course be appropriate to go ahead, but here in Chicago, if we add more people to 1B now, we are just making it more difficult for the people who already qualify for that vaccine, and it would make it harder for us to get to the over-65s, that would make it harder for us to get into the hardest-hit communities because it just diminishes the amount available. “