Chicago will enter Phase 1C of COVID vaccinations in late March, expanding eligibility for key workers such as waiters, bartenders, hairdressers and more, along with residents who have underlying health conditions.
But who is eligible and how can you sign up?
That’s all we know so far.
When does phase 1C begin?
Phase 1C, which will begin on March 29, officials announced on Wednesday.
Who is eligible?
Here is a breakdown of who is and is not eligible for Phase 1C in Chicago:
Underlying medical conditions
Cancer (current diagnosis), heart, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular disorders (including heart disease, coronary heart disease, and high blood pressure or hypertension), chronic kidney disease, chronic respiratory disease (including cystic fibrosis, moderate to severe asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / emphysema [COPD]), Diabetes (type 1 and type 2), disability: physical, developmental, visual, auditory or mental, neurological disorders (including dementia), Down syndrome, immunocompromised state (weakened immune system), including blood transplant or bone marrow , immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids or other drugs to weaken immunity, liver disease (including hepatitis), pregnancy, obesity: BMI ≥30 kg / m2, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, sickle cell disease, thalassemia, people with disabilities
Clergy and religious organizations
People over the age of 65; where possible, giving priority to Chicagoans aged 75 and over and Chicagoans aged 65 to 74, with basic medical conditions
Energy
Workers who support the energy sector, including those involved in the manufacture, distribution, repair of energy
Finance
Banks; foreign exchange; consumer loans; credit unions; evaluators; title companies; financial markets; financial institutions; institutions that sell financial services; accounting and insurance services
Food and beverage service
Restaurant and other facilities that prepare and serve food (including bars); entities providing food services
Higher education
Workers in educational institutions – including junior colleges, four-year colleges and universities, technical schools, business schools, educational support services and education administration programs
Information and communication technology
Internet, video and telecommunications systems, consumer electronics repair, computer and office machine repair
Legal
Workers providing legal services or supporting the operations of the judiciary, including judges, lawyers, paralegals, legal assistants, processing servers, couriers, bailiffs, bailiffs, probation officers, court staff and others who provide legal assistance or perform legal functions
Media
Newspapers, periodicals, television, radio and other media services, news and newsstand dealers, broadcasting, news syndicates, printing and book publishers
Other Community or government operations and essential functions
Other government employees; essential community-based functions (eg urban planning, offices that provide basic needs such as food, childcare, shelter and social services); library workers
Personal care and hygiene services
Companies that offer personal care services such as hair, nails and non-medical massage.
Laundry, dry cleaning, industrial laundry services and laundry service providers
Public health
Public health entities; pharmaceutical, medical and medical equipment companies and biotechnology companies
Public safety
Workers who ensure the proper functioning of public safety systems, including construction inspectors, civil engineers, chemical engineers, aerospace engineers and responders to hazardous materials. Workers who build and maintain roads, highways, railways and ports. Workers in cyber security operations
Retail
Retail store workers, including but not limited to shops selling alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, over-the-counter medicines, other non-food products (eg electronics, optical items, books, etc.), other products consumer goods, wholesalers, cannabis licensing and cultivation centers
Shelter and housing
Hardware stores and businesses; construction and maintenance of buildings, real estate; workers in hotels and motels
Transport and logistics
Gas station workers; supply and repair of cars and bicycles; businesses providing transportation and delivery services; couriers; deposits; private mail; Airline workers not included in 1b; workers in rail, water, truck, charter bus or transportation rental
Water and wastewater
Workers involved in wastewater treatment and operation; sanitary and storm maintenance crews performing emergency and essential system maintenance
Those already eligible in phases 1A and 1B will also remain eligible in 1C.
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said eligibility for city-run vaccination sites will be limited to Chicago residents.
How can you make an appointment?
Officials offer vaccines through Zocdoc. Residents can check zocdoc.com/vaccine to confirm eligibility, see nearby vaccination locations, show availability in real time, and receive notifications when new appointments are available.
The city also says appointments can be made through certain employers, local health care providers and pharmacies in the area.
For a complete list of ways to make an appointment in Chicago, click here.
However, officials have warned that not everyone who is eligible will be able to get an appointment immediately.
“My concern, you know, as we open up, is that right away, people will magically believe that there is a huge offer starting on March 29 – and there isn’t,” Arwady said. “But we’ll have received enough vaccine by then to have passed, you know, the vast majority – about three-quarters of the people who would have been eligible in 1B. We know we vaccinated non-Chicago residents as well, and both sides look good So I know that a lot of people are looking forward to getting vaccinated, and I also know that April will probably be frustrating for some of them, especially in early April, but until the end of April, you know, and by May I think we’ll reach a point where we’ll start to feel more like a typical flu shot. “
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.