Phase 1B of Illinois COVID-19 vaccines expanded Thursday as the state opened up eligibility to a much larger group of residents.
Known as Phase 1B Plus, the current phase of the COVID vaccine launch in Illinois now includes people with certain medical conditions and high-risk comorbidities. But it won’t be like that everywhere.
Here’s what we know so far about extended phase 1B, which began on February 25:
Who is eligible for Phase 1B Plus and when?
As of Feb. 25, the state increased requirements for Phase 1B to include people with certain underlying conditions and comorbidities.
The list of high-risk medical conditions that meet the requirements (which may change) includes:
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Diabetes
- Heart condition
- Immunocompromised state from a solid organ transplant
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Lung disease
- Sickle cell disease
The expansion applies to those over the age of 16 who were not otherwise covered in previous eligibility categories, the state said, adding that it plans to work with local health departments and other providers in as eligibility increases.
This is in addition to health workers and long-term care facility staff and residents who qualified for Phase 1A of the state deployment, as well as essential front-line workers and 65-year-old residents. or more who were eligible at the start of Phase 1B, which included more than 3.2 million Illinois residents.
Here’s a look at those who already qualified for Phase 1B:
- Residents 65 years or older
- Essential front-line workers, which means “residents who have a higher risk of COVID-19 exposure due to their work duties, often because they cannot work from home and / or have to work closely with others without being able to distance themselves socially.This includes:
- First responders: Fires, law enforcement, 911 workers, security personnel, school officers
- Education: Teachers, principals, student aid, student aid, daycare
- Food and agriculture: Processing, plants, veterinary health, livestock services, animal care
- Manufacturing: Industrial production of goods for distribution to retail, wholesale or other manufactures
- Corrections and interns: Prison officers, juvenile facility staff, in-person support workers, inmates
- USPS workers
- Public transport workers: Flight crew, bus drivers, train drivers, taxi drivers, public transport drivers, in-person assistance, travel sharing services
- Grocery store workers: Baggers, ATMs, stockers, collection, customer service
- Hostels and daycare staff: Shelter for homeless people, shelter for women, adult program / start day, sheltered workshop, psychosocial rehabilitation
Which locations are extended phase 1B and which are not?
Several local health departments, hospital systems and counties in the Chicago area have said they will not yet expand their Phase 1B, saying the supply of vaccines remains too limited.
Here’s a look at who’s expanding so far:
Chicago
Chicago was one of the first to announce that it would not join the state.
“We’re not ready right now,” Chicago Department of Public Health commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said in a Facebook Live video Tuesday. “The city of Chicago, Cook County, Evanston, DuPage County, Stickney, there may be others. All in all, we’re not at a point where we can move forward.”
According to Arwady, more than 950,000 Chicago residents would be eligible if the city extended Phase 1B according to state guidelines.
“We can’t add a million people to nearly a million people, including 1A, who are already competing for existing doses,” he said. “It’s just going to make everyone more frustrated. So as we get more vaccine, we’re definitely going to open up and get out of there.”
Cook County
Cook County Board Chairman Toni Preckwinkle, in a joint statement with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, echoed those claims and said that “we are not being given enough doses to allow us to expand eligibility in these phases “.
DeKalb County
DeKalb County officials say the area will not expand to Phase 1B until those eligible at the start of the phase receive their vaccines.
DuPage County
DuPage County Health Department said in a statement that it cannot expand eligibility “until vaccine supply increases.”
Evanston
In a note to residents, Evanston said he did not anticipate being able to expand Phase 1B eligibility “due to the large number of individuals age 65 or older in Evanston who are currently eligible for vaccines as part of Phase 1B.” 1b and the limited supply of vaccines available to date “.
Grundy County
In a Feb. 15 release, Grundy County said it “remains in Phase 1b, which we now understand includes people under the age of 65 with high-risk medical conditions.”
“Although these people have been included, we have not yet seen an increase in the allocation of vaccines targeted at Grundy County. Our estimate is that 1b now includes more than 15,000 people and we continue to see only hundreds of vaccines each week.” said the county health department. “It will take months to offer a vaccine to everyone who now meets the requirements.”
Jewel-Osco
“Osco Drug Pharmacy is following the extended phase 1b guidelines of the state of Illinois that will take effect on February 25th“the company said in a statement.
Kane County
“The Kane County Health Department will introduce Phase 2B eligible Part 2 residents to their clinics as more vaccines become available,” the county health department said. “Some of our providers will continue to focus on patients over 65, while others are better positioned to include those patients with medical conditions.”
Kankakee County
“The Department of Health is committed to vaccinating as many people as possible and as effectively as possible,” the county health department said in a statement. “However, we continue to receive a very limited supply of vaccines. The expansion of phase 1B will further delay the vaccination of health workers, the elderly and essential front-line workers who are no longer vaccinated in phase 1A. and 1B and waiting their turn “.
Lake County
“Until the supply of vaccines increases, Lake County will not expand into the ‘Phase 1b plus’ group announced by the governor, which includes people between the ages of 16 and 64 with comorbidities, high-risk health conditions and disabilities, “spokesman Christopher Coveli said in a statement. “By recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the transition between phases, we will try to move to the” Phase 1b plus “group when 60-70% of people in the current phase are vaccinated or when the supply of vaccines exceeds demand at the current stage. However, pharmacies and other entities that receive vaccines directly from the state or federal government may follow the Illinois expansion that begins Feb. 25, 2021. “
De Mariano
“I will [expanding] according to the jurisdiction of each county, “said a company spokesman.” Appointments can be made from [Thursday], but 3/1 is the date of vaccination, pending appointment availability. “
McHenry County
“Based on the state’s current vaccine allocations, MCDH will continue to focus its phase 1b vaccination efforts on 65-year-olds and first aid,” the county said in a statement.
Oak Street Health
“We have no plans to expand eligibility to younger people with health conditions; we are focusing our efforts on older adults (patients and other seniors) in our communities,” the health system said in a statement. “We are seeing enough demand from this group and it fits the expectations that the city of Chicago and Cook County have set in maintaining their focus on vaccinating those who are currently eligible. The exception is that we are working in partnership. In collaboration with the city’s Protect Chicago Plus initiative, where for eight weekends (the previous two and the next six), we vaccinate residents over the age of 18 in the Belmont Cragin and Montclare neighborhoods (two of the neighborhoods most affected by “We are really proud of the work we are doing there: it is having a measurable impact on Latino vaccination rates in Chicago.”
Will County
“Like so many counties in our area, we are unable to expand into what is now called‘ 1B-plus ’due to lack of adequate vaccine supplies,” Will County Health Department said in a statement. . “We will continue to focus on Phase 1B and the over-65s, with the hope that vaccine supplies will improve soon.”
Gov. JB Pritzker said the state is still expected to expand eligibility to Phase 1B starting Thursday, despite delays in shipping that caused the lack of doses for some cities last week.
Do you need medical conditions?
Pritzker noted that people eligible in the extended phase will not have to prove they have a high-risk medical condition, although many are likely to receive the vaccine from their primary care physicians.
“We’re not getting people to come in with their doctor’s papers to prove they have diabetes or to prove they have cancer. We’re relying on people, the honor system, for people with these comorbidities to show up.” Said Pritzker. “Obviously, so are we: the nurses and doctors who provide these doses to people can ask them questions about their condition to confirm this. And in fact, many people go to their regular doctor who already has their history. and knows its comorbidities “.
Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, says that while testing for the disease is not explicitly required, it will help speed up the vaccination process.
“Most people who have a comorbidity may have a recent pill bottle with their name on it, may have a medical note, or may have a recent summary sheet that states their condition,” he said during a recent roundtable. . on NBC 5 Chicago. “We are not trying to create barriers or difficulties, but we want to make sure that we are addressing the people who need this vaccine the most and that people with comorbidities can help provide some evidence, in addition to the attestation they may have to make so they can get the vaccine “.
For a full view of where and how you can make an appointment in Illinois or where you can get information about vaccines in your area, click here.
Why does the state expand its eligibility?
“Children under the age of 65 who live with comorbidities, such as cancer survivors or those with heart disease, have a high risk of serious complications or death if they contract COVID-19,” said Governor JB Pritzker in a statement. it is moving forward in line with CDC guidelines to expand our eligible population as supply allows, bringing us closer to the point where the vaccine is widely available to anyone who wants it. In the meantime, I encourage all Illinois residents to wear masks and follow the mitigations so that more neighbors are healthy and alive when it comes to vaccinating them. ”
But why expand with so many regions that do not receive the necessary doses?
“It seems that there are some rural areas in the state that have been given more vaccine, they may not have as many people, who have achieved a high percentage of their people over 65 and their workers essentials, ”the Chicago department said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.