Illinois Vaccine: COVID Vaccinations Are Short While Health Officials Wait for More Shipments, Chicago Mayor Blames Federal Government

CHICAGO (WLS) – Another COVID-19 pandemic day, with the US reporting nearly 276,000 new cases on Saturday. This is the biggest total in a day.

The record day comes as the federal government and states face criticism over vaccine distribution efforts.

Many health systems in the Chicago area say they do not know when they will receive the next deliveries of vaccines, and the mayor is again blaming the federal government.

The United States has surpassed more than 20 million COVID-19 infections just as the pandemic passed in its second calendar year.

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“We have more cases, we have more hospitalizations, we have trips that will lead to further increases in January. We now have this new version of the virus that will spread more easily and make our hospitals even fuller,” said Dr. Megan Ranney, Brown University Emergency Physician.

And this is on the verge of the deadliest month of the pandemic, as more than 1,000 Americans a day have died from coronavirus since December 1.

As Indiana ends its deadliest week, city and state officials are concerned that vaccine deliveries are not coming as promised and are not fast enough.

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“Chicago has already distributed> 95% of the doses of COVID-19 vaccine it has received. However, at the current dose rate from the federal government, it would take 71 weeks – almost a year and a half – to completely vaccinate the whole city. We need more vaccine. Now, “Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a tweet on Saturday.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to claim that “Vaccines are delivered to states by the Federal Government much faster than they can be administered!”

“This is a logistical failure,” said Dr. Ranney.

Nationally, only about 4.2 million Americans have been vaccinated so far, which is 79% less than the Trump administration’s 20 million goal by the New Year.

“So it just doesn’t work and no state has understood,” said Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney.

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While health systems are working to inoculate their employees and first responders as soon as possible, Will County is asking residents to register online to streamline the process once the vaccine is more widely available.

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