The next phase means that anyone over the age of 65 and a wider group of essential workers will be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine. This group includes people in prisons, grocery store workers, daycares and educators.
While this is cause for some celebration, there are still concerns about the speed with which shots can be fired.
Where can you get vaccinated?
If you are in any of these groups, there are four places where eligible residents can get vaccinated.
Most will go through your healthcare provider, while others will have to go through pharmacies, mass vaccination sites, or your employer.
However, before heading to any of these sites, officials warn that vaccines can only be made by appointment.
“Don’t try to line up at your local store or call your local pharmacy. When we have a steady stream of vaccines from the federal government, we’ll be launching walks around places and operations all day,” Governor JB Pritzker said. he said Friday.
CLICK HERE: Coronavirus Illinois: COVID Vaccine Distribution by County, Region
Officials said people can expect it to take time even to get an appointment, because there simply isn’t enough vaccine to meet demand.
“There are 3.2 million Illinois in Phase 1B, so there will be much greater demand than supply at least in the short term,” Governor Pritzker added.
Supply vs. demand
Lack of supplies is affecting both the state and city level.
To date, Illinois reports that more than 680,000 vaccines have been administered to date.
State health officials are already increasing capacity, so as soon as more vaccine arrives, they will be ready. This includes creating a website to sign up for appointments.
Vaccine search engine website
“We need to make sure the community is committed because, ultimately, if the trust factor isn’t there with the community and our government officials, it won’t 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 make vaccines to the communities most affected by the pandemic.
“We have everyone here to make sure all our hands are on deck right now, to make sure that when the vaccines arrive, we can use those vaccines to put them in people’s arms,” Dr. Tariq Butt told the Chicago Medical Society.
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“What better way to incorporate the community; faith-based schools, is absolutely an essential way to try to reach the community in the most confident 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 eligible can get their first vaccine.
State health authorities are asking for patience, as there are not enough vaccines right now.
President Biden is now trying to address this by increasing production with a new goal of vaccinating 100 million people in the first 100 days of his administration. However, some doctors said we should be able to go further.
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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, a prisoner. Appointed by Biden to Biden Surgeon General.
Both the city and the state are expected to provide more details on where to register for the vaccine in the coming days.
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