Note: An earlier version of this story stated that five counties were authorized to expand eligibility. The state has since made it clear that any counties in Illinois that see lower demand for vaccinations can now qualify at their sole discretion.
The Illinois Department of Public Health on Friday authorized counties in the state that saw low demand for COVID vaccines to vaccinate all residents 16 and older at their sole discretion to address “a worrying possible trend in the increase in COVID hospitalizations and figures “.
IDPH said in a statement it had seen vaccine demand decline in several provinces “with early signs of unfulfilled appointments and increased vaccine inventory.”
As such, the state authorizes counties with outstanding appointments and delayed demand to expand vaccine eligibility to use currently available doses. IDPH noted that residents should contact their local health department to find out if they are more eligible.
The state also announced Friday that it is sending “Rapid Response Vaccination Teams” to five counties where epidemiologists “have determined the need to deliver doses quickly to smooth out rising trends,” according to IDPH. Those teams will administer one-time Johnson & Johnson vaccinations to residents on top of what the counties have already allocated.
Those counties are: Carroll, Ogle, Boone, Lee and Whiteside. Details on doses and appointment scheduling are as follows, per IDPH:
“Recent increases in hospital admissions and positivity in testing are new developments and we don’t want to take the same path we have seen before and are experiencing a resurgence of the pandemic, which is why Governor Pritzker has instructed us to use all our resources. to halt these rises, ”said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike in a statement.
Illinois has seen 10 days of increases in the seven-day moving average for hospital admissions since March 8, IDPH said, and COVID-19 test positivity was 3.3% as of Friday – up from 2.5% on March 10.
“While these rates are certainly significantly below the peak, they are a possible early warning signal of a possible resurgence,” said IDPH.
Chicago officials said Thursday that the city’s coronavirus statistics have also shown “ worrying increases ” in recent weeks, noting that “ most alarmingly, ” the daily number of new COVID cases in the city has risen to the ‘high’ category. risk ‘because of five consecutive days of increases.
IDPH noted on Friday that the daily number of cases in Chicago has increased nearly 50% since last week, along with six days of increases in test positivity, while the Cook County suburbs have seen the daily number of cases increase by more than 40%, along with nine days of increased use of hospital beds.
“We can’t move forward if our statistics go down,” said Ezike. “The vaccine will help us make it to the end of the pandemic, but we need to keep reducing the spread of the virus by wearing a mask and avoiding crowds. Keep a distance of six feet, get tested after you go. seen others and get you vaccinated as soon as possible. “
Gov. JB Pritzker announced last week that all Illinois residents over the age of 16 will be eligible for vaccination starting April 12.
Here’s a rundown of the full vaccine eligibility schedule:
| Date | Eligible Groups |
| December 15, 2020 | Health professionals and staff and residents of long-term care facilities |
| January 25, 2021 | Primary care workers (including first responders, K-12 teachers, and other public industries) and residents 65 and older |
| February 25, 2021 | Residents with high-risk conditions or disabilities aged 16 and older |
| March 22, 2021 | Higher education personnel, government employees and media |
| March 29, 2021 | Restaurant staff, construction workers and religious leaders |
| April 12, 2021 | Any resident aged 16 and over |
All vaccinations remain by appointment only, officials said, noting that “making an appointment to get an injection may take some time.” Newly eligible employees can make appointments at “the more than 900 locations in the network of providers,” Pritzker said.
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.