Chicago and Cook County will not join the state of Illinois to expand who is eligible for stage 1B coronavirus vaccinations later this month, officials said Thursday.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County Council President announced the decision in a joint statement, saying the city and county are not receiving enough doses of vaccine to allow them to extend eligibility with the rest of the state in a decision, Governor JB Pritzker. announced the day before.
“Our goal is to vaccinate as many people as possible and as effectively as possible. That being said, our biggest challenge in this regard is the very limited supply of vaccine we receive. As we progress every day in vaccinating people in 1a and 1b, we are currently not provided with sufficient doses to allow us to extend eligibility in these phases, “the statement said.
“Doing so in Chicago and Cook County would add an additional 1 million people to 1b, and the result would be that those currently eligible, including the elderly, key front workers and those in our communities most burdened by COVID, it would have an equal level, it’s harder to get a vaccine “, continued Lightfoot and Preckwinkle.
“These phases were established after a careful study and analysis and are based on the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We recognize that the governor must make tough choices and consider the needs of this diverse state, but given the limited supply of vaccine, he must also make tough choices as leaders in the most populous cities and counties in the state. We look forward to expanding eligibility as vaccine supply improves. “
Pritzker announced Wednesday that Illinois will increase eligibility for Phase 1B beginning Feb. 25, allowing vaccination of people with “a high-risk medical condition” or comorbidity. The list includes people with cancer, diabetes, obesity, pregnant women and those with other conditions.
“Given the steady growth in the federal supply of vaccines, Illinois is making plans to extend Phase 1B eligibility on Feb. 25 to people with comorbidities and underlying conditions as defined by the CDC,” the governor’s office said in a statement. . In addition, Illinois will give priority to people with disabilities.
“Those under the age of 65 who live with comorbidities, such as cancer survivors or those suffering from 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 guidance to expand our eligible population as the supply allows, bringing us closer to the point where the vaccine is widely available to anyone who wants it. In the meantime, I encourage all Illinois wear our masks and watch for attenuation so that many of our neighbors are healthy and alive when it’s their turn in the vaccination line. ”
The extension applies to those aged 16 and over who were not otherwise covered in previous eligibility categories, the state said, adding that it intends to work with local health departments and other providers as eligibility increases. (Here is a complete list of eligible people).
For a full look at where you can make an appointment in Illinois or where you can get information about vaccines for your area, click here.
Already, more than 3.2 million people in Illinois are eligible for Phase 1B vaccinations, which include people aged 65 and over, as well as “essential frontline workers.”
Despite repeated claims, the state is struggling to vaccinate those in phase 1B because of the limited supply, Pritzker said a 5% increase in doses this week alone, saying: “As soon as we get enough vaccine, we must not lose time in protecting a wider section of our most vulnerable population. “
However, even though Illinois announced more than 100 new vaccination sites in the past week, officials continued to call for patience Wednesday, saying vaccine supply is limited.
“We are limited by the amount of vaccine available and allocated by the federal government,” the governor’s office said in a statement just before Pritzker’s announcement of eligibility. “Vaccinations are only available by appointment at this time and we encourage people to return frequently for open meetings. Until supply increases, there will be a high demand and we ask people to be patient.”
Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner for the Chicago Department of Public Health, presented the decision to Lightfoot and Preckwinkle on Wednesday, saying the city had only received enough vaccine to give doses to 5-10 percent of those currently eligible.
Chicago health officials have previously released a tentative timeline of the vaccination phases, initially planning to move to Phase 1C on March 29, followed by Phase 2 on May 31. Phase 1C includes all essential workers who are not covered in the previous phases, as well as Chicagoans between the ages of 16 and 64 who have underlying medical conditions. But Arwady said earlier this week that Phase 1C could be pushed back to supply.
“The reason we really looked to the end of March is where we expect to actually have more vaccines,” Arwady said Wednesday. “I think it would be very appropriate if there are parts of the state, for example, that can already go through 1B – they took all their people over 65, they got their essential workers – if there is somewhere in the state that has appointments unfulfilled vaccinations, of course, it would be appropriate to move on. But here in Chicago, if we add extra people now to 1B, all we do is make it harder for people who are already eligible to get that vaccine and it would make it harder for us to bring it to people over 65, which it would make it harder for us to introduce it into the most affected communities because it only dilutes the amount available. “