Health officials say they still don’t have enough doses for everyone who wants one. They tell people to be patient.
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“Opening the vaccine to all adults in Chicago is another important milestone in our goal to vaccinate everyone and get past the pandemic to safely reopen our city,” said Mayor Lori Lightfoot. “I encourage everyone to get vaccinated, and anyone who wants a vaccine will get one, but I want to remind people to be patient in getting an appointment as our vaccine offerings are still very limited.”
Any Chicago resident who is 16 or older can search for appointments at zocdoc.com/vaccine or call the COVID-19 Vaccine Finder in Chicago and call the city’s COVID-19 helpline at (312) 746-4835. Vaccines are also available from Costco Pharmacies, CVS, Jewel Osco, Mariano’s, and Walgreens.
“I am encouraged by our increased vaccination coverage, but we also continue to see a slow and sustained increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, especially among younger Chicago residents,” said Allison Arwady, MD, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. “As we become more eligible, we can increase vaccination rates for younger populations to slow the spread of the virus. Hopefully our federal government vaccine supply will increase. We will continue to use whatever doses we receive quickly.”
In the West Town clinic of Erie Family Health Centers, the demand for vaccines is only growing.
“I think about my family. Be safe from them, and also from where I work now,” said Gloria Herrera, vaccine recipient.
Now that Herrera is on her first dose, she also wanted to get an appointment for her 16-year-old daughter – and she’s not alone.
Now that Chicago is joining the rest of Illinois to make the vaccine eligible for anyone 16 and older, Erie Family Health Centers are hearing from parents.
“Our Pfizer sites are full this week, so 16- and 17-year-olds have to get Pfizer again. They’ve been approved for that so far, and all the places where we have Pfizer are already full this week,” said Dr. Sara Naureckas, Medical Director of Pediatrics & Adolescent Health, Erie Family Health.
The transition to universal adult fitness comes when Chicago hits a milestone: More than half of city residents 18 and older have received at least one dose.
“Any adult is eligible. And it is my expectation that as we get more vaccine, more and more people, including younger people, will get the vaccine,” said Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
The timing of the vaccine expansion is critical, as young adults are driving the recent rise in infections.
“In the last month, we’ve really seen those teens, that kind of 16 or 18 to 29 groups that really affected the pandemic,” Dr. Michael Angarone, infectious disease specialist in Northwestern Medicine.
While there is anecdotal evidence that many of those teens and young adults may be more reluctant than other groups to get vaccinated, that’s not the case at Erie Family Health Centers.
And when I see the kids for their checkups, they ask me how they can get it. There are people who call and ask for appointments with us, ”said Naureckas.
While everyone 16 and older is now eligible, Erie Family Health centers said they will continue their targeted reach to some of the people who were eligible in stages 1B and 1C.
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