COVID-19 vaccine update: Chicago, Cook County won t be expanding Phase 1B eligibility
WLS
Share:
Share:
CHICAGO (WLS) Chicago and Cook County will not be joining other parts of Illinois in expanding Phase 1B eligibility for COVID vaccines, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced Thursday.
The announcement comes one day after Governor JB Pritzker said Illinois would begin expanding Phase 1B eligibility on February 25 to people over 16 with certain medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes and heart conditions.
In a joint statement, Lightfoot and Preckwinkle said, Our goal is to get as many people vaccinated as quickly and efficiently as possible. That said, our greatest challenge in doing so is the very limited supply of vaccine we are receiving. While we are making progress every day with vaccinating people in 1a and 1b, at this time we are not being supplied with enough doses that would allow us to expand eligibility in these phases.
Chicago is expanding indoor dining capacity at restaurants and bars as it looks to ease restrictions put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19, Mayor Lori.
Suburban Cook County is increasing indoor dining capacity at restaurants and bars to bring the county into alignment with new guidelines the city of Chicago.
CHICAGO (WLS) With Illinois starting Phase 1B of vaccinations Monday, there are new moves being made with the hopes of ramping up vaccine distribution as the country lags behind goals set by the Trump administration.
The next phase means anyone over 65 years old and a larger group of essential workers will be eligible for getting the COVID-19 vaccine. That group includes people in correctional facilities, grocery store workers, daycare workers and educators.
On January 25th Illinois takes a step forward to phase 1B in the state s Covid-19 vaccination plan.
While that s cause for some celebration, there are still concerns about the speed at which shots can be given out.
Starting Monday, Chicago will move into Phase 1B, during which many frontline workers as well as residents 65 and older will be able to get vaccinated.
COVID-19 vaccines are not currently authorized for younger children. The city said they will be added when a vaccine is approved for children. Most people, especially in the 65-plus, will be vaccinated in a clinical setting: through a hospital, through your own doctor s office, potentially through a pharmacy. And there will be more to come on that, Dr. Allison Arwady said.
Officials are asking providers to prioritize within each group. In the 65 and older category, Arwady said those 75 and older should be at the top of the list, followed by those 65 to 74 with underlying conditions, and then the rest of that of group.