Health officials say they still don’t have enough doses for everyone who wants one. He tells people to be patient.
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“Opening vaccine eligibility to all adults in Chicago is another important step in our goal of vaccinating everyone and overcoming the pandemic to reopen the city safely,” said Mayor Lori Lightfoot. “I encourage everyone to get vaccinated and everyone who wants a vaccine will get one, but I want to remind people to be patient to get an appointment, because our supply of vaccines is still very limited.”
Any Chicago resident who is 16 years of age or older can search for appointments at zocdoc.com/vaccine or the COVID-19 Vaccine Finder in Chicago, and call the COVID-19 Helpline in the city at (312) 746-4835. Vaccines are also available at Costco, CVS, Jewel Osco, Mariano’s and Walgreens pharmacies.
“I am encouraged by our high vaccination rates, but we continue to see a slow and persistent increase in COVID-19 cases, especially among young people in Chicago,” said Allison Arwady, MD, commissioner of the Department of Public Health in Chicago. Chicago. As we expand eligibility, we can increase vaccination for younger populations to slow the spread of the virus. We hope that our supply of vaccines from the federal government will increase. We will continue to use all the doses we receive quickly.
At the Erie Family Health Centers clinic in West Town, the demand for the vaccine is only growing.
“I’m thinking about my family. Be safe for them and where I work now,” said Gloria Herrera, the vaccine recipient.
Now that Herrera has her first dose, she wanted to date her 16-year-old daughter – and she’s not alone.
Once Chicago joins the rest of Illinois in expanding vaccine eligibility for everyone 16 and older, Erie Family Health Centers have heard from parents.
“Our Pfizer sites are full this week, and again, 16- and 17-year-olds should receive Pfizer. That’s why they’ve been approved so far, and all the places we have at Pfizer are already full this week, “said Dr. Sara Naureckas, medical director of Pediatrics & Adolescent Health, Erie Family Health.
The transition to universal adult eligibility is taking place when Chicago reaches a milestone: more than half of the city’s residents aged 18 and over have received at least one dose.
“Every adult is eligible. And it’s my expectations as we start getting more vaccine, more and more people, including the youngest, will get the vaccine,” said Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
The timing of the vaccine is critical, with young adults leading the recent rise in infections.
“In the last month or so I’ve really seen those teenagers, this kind of groups of 16 or 18 to 29 years old who really had an impact on the pandemic,” said Dr. Michael Angarone, a specialist in infectious diseases in medicine. from the northwest.
Although there was anecdotal evidence, many of these adolescents and young adults may be more reluctant than other groups to get vaccinated, this was not the case at Erie Family Health Centers.
“And when I see the kids for their checks, they ask me how they can do it. We have people calling and asking for meetings with us,” Naureckas said.
Although everyone 16 years of age and older is now eligible, Erie Family Health said they will continue to nominate some people who were eligible in Phase 1B and 1C.
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