In this document

How Vaccine Distribution is planned in Illinois

The information below is provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health

According to their website, the IDPH is working with local health departments and providers across the state to provide COVID-19 vaccinations that resemble larger versions of yearly flu clinics, rather than the mass vaccination activities of the past.

If you aren’t a healthcare worker or resident in a care home (see Cat 1A below), you’re going to have to wait for the vaccine. Based on our estimates it will take weeks still to reach the public. There is no clear indication on the IDPH website about how they intend to categorize and prioritize the distribution of the vaccine into the general populace or even when it will start.

The table below is from the IDPH working document and seems to indicate a clear delineation which is then disputed by statements on the IDPH website,

Medika would recommend bringing pressure to bear on your elected officials. Your state has had months to prepare and still have not decided who should be prioritized. It is unacceptable and places the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions at risk from the virus.

Speak out using the websites we’ve linked to in the right-hand column (or below if you’re on your phone) and make them pay attention.

Category 1A

Illinois has been very specific in categorizing the first recipients of the covid vaccines. The category 1A has been broken down into four groups and those who are eligible within these groups. If you are in one of these groups, you will already have received, or will shortly receive, your first covid vaccine.

Hospitals

Nurses and Nursing Assistants
Physicians / MD, NP, PA
Respiratory Technicians
Pharmacists
Environmental Services Staff
Reception Staff
Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Fire Department Staff acting as EMS
Air Medical Transport (Rotor & Fixed Wing)
X-Ray Technician
Phlebotomist
Infectious Waste Workers
COVID Sample Lab
Organ Harvester
Students on Clinical Rotations
Dietary staff
Clergy/pastoral/chaplains
Interpreters
Crisis intervention staff
Laundry or security staff

Non-hospital Health Care

Nurses and Nursing Assistants
Physicians / MD, NP, PA
Respiratory Technicians
Dentists and Hygienists
Pharmacists
Plasma and Blood Donation Staff
Morticians
Public Health Nurses
Home Health
School Nurses
Optometrist
COVID Testing Staff
Dermatologist
Dialysis staff
Urgent care workers
Corrections nurses/aides
Medical/flight transport
Physical/occupational/speech therapists
Vaccine clinic workers

Long-term Care Facilities

Nurses and Nursing Assistants
Physicians / MD, NP, PA
Respiratory Technicians
Dentists and Hygienists
Long-Term Care Facility Staff
Pharmacists
Mental health clinicians
Environmental Services Staff
Reception Staff
Residents
Medical Facility Surveyor
Dietary staff
Interpreters
Laundry or security staff

Other Congregate Care

• Nurses and Nursing Assistants
• Physicians / MD, NP, PA
• Respiratory Technicians
• Group Home/Residential Staff
• Pharmacists
• Environmental Services Staff
• Reception Staff
• Home Aide/Caregiver
• Corrections nurses/assistants
• Congregate Care Surveyor
• Hospice/palliative care staff
• Community health workers when acting as health aid or health translator

Category 1B

• Persons aged 75 years and older
• Frontline essential workers, defined as those workers who are essential for the functioning of society and including the following:
  • First responders: Firefighters (including volunteers) & Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs). (EMS personnel are considered under Phase 1a)
  • Corrections Officers
  • Food and Agriculture Workers
  • Postal Service Workers
  • Manufacturing Workers
  • Grocery Store Workers
  • Public Transit Workers
  • Education sector, including teachers and Support Staff
  • Daycare Workers

Phase 1c

(further updates to be released for Phase 1c for the context of Illinois)

• Persons aged 16 to 59 years old with medical conditions that increase the risk for severe COVID-19. Conditions include obesity, diabetes, pulmonary disease, heart condition including hypertension, kidney disease, cancer, immunocompromised, sickle cell, and pregnancy.
  (Note: As of the date of this plan, only Pfizer has been authorized for those under 18, from the age’s 16 & up, whereas Moderna is 18 & up)
• Persons aged 65 to 74 years old

Sorry folks, no information is available yet on the IDPH website about the dates and finality of groups 1B and 1C, despite months of time to plan for the vaccinations. We will check back on a daily basis and update you as to when groups and dates for public vaccinations are announced.

Category 2

Still under review by the ACIP

Where will you be able to get vaccinated when the time arrives? According to IDPH,

Initially, hospitals will provide COVID-19 vaccine to health care personnel. As more vaccine is distributed by the federal government, several thousand vaccination providers will be available, including but not limited to doctors’ offices, retail pharmacies, hospitals, and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), across the state.

Want to know who’s holding things up? According to the IDPH site, a body called the ACIP decides who gets vaccinated and when. Shockingly, they still haven’t decided, after months of preparing for exactly this moment. Here’s what the website states about 1B, in contradiction to the above list, gleaned from their working document.

ACIP is a group of medical and public health experts that develop recommendations on how to use vaccines to control diseases in the U.S. ACIP decides on vaccine prioritization recommendations by reviewing the FDA information, clinical trial data, and other information.

The highly questionable strategy of holding back vaccines or “hoarding” to allow for second shots, also reduces the immediate coverage, cutting it in half effectively. States like Texas are following Federal and CDC guidelines and using all allocated vaccines immediately on delivery, thereby doubling the coverage people in Illinois currently enjoy.

We call bulldust and so should you. Get in touch with your local health departments and elected officials using Resistbot and 5 Calls. Delays now cost lives later, particularly in the at-risk sectors of your communities. Let your state’s governance know you are holding them accountable.

Local Vaccination resources in Illinois

We’re still busy collecting this data as none have yet been made public.

Information for Vaccine Providers in Illinois

There is very little information available at this point. You may however find this page useful. SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Planning Guide as it includes details on the propesed rollout. In terms of Providers being able to order vaccinesm the following is provided.

“The IDPH Immunization Section will use established I-CARE protocols to coordinate ordering and tracking use of the pandemic vaccines from the CDC, or from the designated vendors. Providers will log into I-CARE to order the vaccine. IDPH staff will approve orders in I-CARE and transmit requests into CDC’s Vaccine Tracking System (VTrckS). LHDs will be the first to order while vaccine is scarce. IDPH will work with LHDs to determine which providers should be prioritized in their jurisdiction. Once the supply of vaccine increases and later phases are entered, orders can be processed directly with all providers.”

CDC Covid Vaccine Information

• COVID-19 Vaccines and Allergic Reactions
• What to Expect after Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine
• Ensuring the Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States
• Reporting an Adverse Effect to a Covid-19 or other Vaccine
• General Vaccine Safety Main page

FDA Covid Vaccine Information

• COVID-19 Vaccines (general overview and links)
• Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
• Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

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