Smoking is on the list of high-risk medical conditions and comorbidities that make someone eligible for the coronavirus vaccine under Phase 1B plus in Illinois.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, smoking is considered an “eligible condition” in the phase alongside other conditions like cancer, diabetes, obesity, pregnancy and more.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that “being a current smoker or ex-smoker increases the risk of serious illness because of COVID-19”.
Illinois entered its Phase 1B Plus on February 25, increasing eligibility to include people with certain conditions and underlying comorbidities. The change meant that an additional 3.4 million people in Illinois became eligible for the vaccine.
Smoking was not on the list of eligible conditions when the phase was first announced, but it was added when the state entered the phase last week.
To find out how you can sign up for a COVID vaccine appointment in Illinois, click here.
The list of qualified high-risk medical conditions, which the state said was subject to change, initially included:
- Cancer
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Diabetes
- Heart condition
- Immunocompromised state of a solid organ transplant
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Lung disease
- Sickle cell anemia
The expansion applies to those over 16 who are not included in the previous eligibility categories, the state said. This in addition to the health workers and long-term care facility staff and residents who qualified in Phase 1A of the state’s deployment, as well as the essential frontline workers and residents aged 65 and over who were eligible at the start of the Phase 1B.
Still, many counties in the Chicago area, including the city itself, chose not to expand eligibility, citing lack of supply.
Here is everything you need to know about Phase 1B Plus, including who is and who is not in the expanded phase.