Chicago health officials say the city could enter the next phase of vaccine launch by the end of the month, but who will be eligible?
The city has so far chosen not to enter phase 1B Plus of vaccinations with the state, which would open doses for residents with certain basic health conditions.
Although no eligibility announcements have been made so far, Phase 1C would likely extend vaccine eligibility to all other essential workers who are not already eligible, as well as Chicagoans over the age of 16 with underlying medical conditions.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Phase 1C includes:
- People aged between 65 and 74 years because there is an increased risk of hospitalization, illness and death due to COVID-19. People aged 65 to 74, who are also residents of long-term care institutions, should be offered vaccination in phase 1a.
- People aged between 16 and 64 with underlying medical conditions which increase the risk of serious, life-threatening complications due to COVID-19.
- Other essential workers, such as people working in transport and logistics, food services, housing construction and financing, information technology, communications, energy, law, media, public safety and public health.
The CDC notes, however, that Phase 1B and Phase 1C may overlap in some cases, such as the underlying medical conditions.
Chicago remains under Phase 1B, which includes key frontline workers and residents aged 65 and over, as well as health care workers and long-term care facility staff and residents who were eligible in Phase 1A of the city’s launch.
Although the city has given up expanding to Phase 1B Plus, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said that if Chicago receives “much more vaccine” in March, officials may begin vaccinating. those with underlying conditions before entering Phase 1C.
Already, many eligible residents in Phase 1B Plus of the state launch can be vaccinated at the federally administered United Center mass vaccination site.
Chicago health officials previously announced that the city has set an estimated start date for the next phase, Phase 1C, which will begin on March 29.
Arwady said the city could start these vaccinations at an earlier date if the city sees an increase in available doses, but noted that the city remains on track to enter Phase 1C in late March.
“We will make adjustments to this [date] as we always have, as we see the vaccine doses come in, “Arwady said.” But honestly, the way [vaccines have] my coming is about how I expected it to come. March will look much better than in February about the vaccine. And I think April will look much better than March. ”
Arwady said Phase 1C is likely to begin on March 29, and Phase 2, which includes all residents over the age of 16, could begin on May 31.
“It may be sooner than we expected, but that timeline we set continues to seem quite consistent with our numbers,” Arwady said. “If you remember, I really said that at the end of March, March 29, was the place where I guessed that we might get to a point where we could go further in 1C and then, at the end of May it is the time when we could be able to before phase 2 and I have not seen anything that really suggests major, major differences from this. ”
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