CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Not everyone will be going along with Governor Pritzker’s plan to expand the list of groups of people eligible to receive COVID vaccinations under the current vaccination phase.
Starting Feb. 25, Governor Pritzker plans to expand the list of people who are eligible to get COVID vaccinations in Phase 1B to include people, 16 years of age or older, who have comorbidities and underlying conditions that make them more vulnerable to COVID-19, as defined by the CDC.
Related
But, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle issued a joint statement Thursday saying they will not expanding the list of people who are eligible to receive COVID vaccines as part of Phase 1B in Chicago and Cook County. They said there is already not enough doses of the vaccines to go around for people who are currently eligible in the grouping: those 65 and older and frontline, essential workers.
"Doing so in Chicago and Cook County would add well over one million additional people to 1B, and the result would be that those currently eligible, including seniors, frontline essential workers and those in our most heavily COVID-burdened communities, would have an even harder time getting a vaccine," the statement read.
Lightfoot and Preckwinkle said they looking forward to expanding the eligibility list once vaccine supplies improve.
Read the full joint statement below:
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.
Doing so in Chicago and Cook County would add well over one million additional people to 1B, and the result would be that those currently eligible, including seniors, frontline essential workers and those in our most heavily COVID-burdened communities, would have an even harder time getting a vaccine.
These phases were established after careful study and consideration, and are based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We recognize the Governor must make tough choices and consider needs across this diverse state, but given the limited supply of vaccine, we must also make the tough choices as the leaders of the most populous city and county in the state. We look forward to expanding eligibility as vaccine supply improves.
Related
