CHICAGO — Phase 1B of COVID-19 Vaccine distribution will begin in Illinois beginning next Monday, January 25th.
“Illinois is building capacity so that as the vaccine supply increases, we will be ready,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “As the nation awaits greater supplies and we ramp up vaccination sites, every Illinoisan can do their part to fight this pandemic with the tools we know to work – masking and distancing – and over the last 8 weeks we’ve all used those tools and made real progress. Enormous sacrifices are being made to achieve this progress, but those sacrifices are making a real difference.”
Daily vaccination in the state is now exceeding more than 44,000 residents a day in the state. During Phase 1B, there will be over 3 million residents statewide eligible to receive the vaccine.
“As more vaccine is allocated to Illinois, and more people are eligible to be vaccinated, we are starting to see the finish line coming into focus,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “The choice to wear our mask, the choice to keep our distance, and the choice to get vaccinated.”
IDPH reports beginnig next week, pharmacies across Illinois will be online with the vaccine program, including CVS, Jewel-Osco, Mariano’s, Hy-Vee, and Kroger. As part of the new distribution, all residents over age 65 will be eligible to receive the vaccine, including frontline workers, by appointment only.
“As one of the most-accessible health care partners in the U.S., Kroger Health is prepared and ready to play an active role in helping distribute the vaccine in collaboration with public health officials and community partners,” said Dr. Marc Watkins, Kroger Health’s chief medical officer said in statement. “We are strongly encouraging all customers and associates to receive the vaccine to curb the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, and we’ll do all we can to ensure they have access as soon as it’s available.”
