The next phase means that anyone over 65 and a larger group of essential workers will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This group includes people in correctional facilities, grocery workers, childcare workers and educators.
While this is cause for celebration, there are still concerns about the speed with which shots can be fired.
Where can you be vaccinated?
If you are in any of these groups, there are four locations where eligible residents can be vaccinated.
Most will go through their health care provider, while others will have to go to pharmacies, mass vaccination sites or through their employer.
However, before you go to any of these locations, the authorities warn that vaccines will be by appointment only.
“Don’t try to line up at your local store or call your local pharmacy. When we have a steady stream of vaccine coming from the federal government, we will start walking around the locations and operations 24 hours a day,” Gov. JB Pritzker said on Friday .
CLICK HERE: Coronavirus Illinois: COVID vaccine distribution by county, region
Officials said people can expect it to take a while before they even get an appointment, because there is simply not enough vaccine to meet demand.
“There are 3.2 million Illinoisans in phase 1B, so there will be much greater demand than supply at least in the short term,” added Governor Pritzker.
Supply vs. Demand
The lack of supplies is impacting both the municipal and state levels.
So far, Illinois is reporting that more than 680,000 vaccines have been administered so far.
State health officials are already building capacity, so as soon as more vaccines arrive, they will be ready. This includes creating a website to sign up for appointments.
Vaccine Finder website
“We have to make sure that the community is involved because, ultimately, if the trust factor is not present with the community and our government officials, it will not work,” said Little Village resident Juan Rangel.
The Equitable Vaccines Coalition is a growing group of educators, leaders of community organizations and facility operators. On Sunday, they called for an accelerated process to bring vaccines to communities most affected by the pandemic.
“We have everyone here to make sure that all hands are on deck now, to make sure that when the vaccines arrive, we can use them to put in people’s arms,” said Dr. Tariq Butt of the Chicago Medical Society.
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“What better way than to bring the community; faith-based schools – absolutely, this is an essential way of trying to reach the community in the most reliable way, ”said Representative Lisa Hernandez, (D) 24th District.
Unfortunately, not everyone is eligible for the vaccine yet, as there are still a few more things that need to be done before those who are currently qualified can get their first injection.
State health officials are asking for patience, as there are not enough vaccines at the moment.
President Biden is now trying to resolve this by increasing production with a new goal of vaccinating 100 million people in the first 100 days of his government. However, some doctors said that we should be able to go beyond that.
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“This is a floor, not a ceiling. It is also a goal that reflects the reality of what we face,” said Dr. Vivek Murthy, president. Biden’s nominee for General Surgeon.
Both the city and the state are expected to provide more details on where to apply for the vaccine in the coming days.
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