CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike gave a COVID-19 update on Wednesday, including the state's vaccination numbers and when more shipments are coming.
Last Friday, the FDA authorized the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for public use. Pritzker said it is a "wonderful development," but may create some confusion among the public.
"For both of these vaccines [Pfizer and Moderna], you are required to get two doses, but it's important to remember that experts say you should not mix vaccines," Pritzker said. "So whichever one you get as your first dose - Pfizer or Moderna - that's the one you should stick with for your second dose."
The Governor said your care provider will keep track of this for you, and you'll also get a reminder card after your first dose.
"Our own Illinois independent review panel has now evaluated all available FDA findings for Moderna's vaccine, just as they did for Pfizer's, and once again the experts in Illinois unanimously endorsed the CDC's recommendations on the vaccine. Also over the weekend, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meant to provide further guidance on upcoming rounds of vaccinations, which states can then use to guide their own prioritization orders," Pritzker said.
"Remember, we're still in Phase 1A, described by ACIP as healthcare workers and long-term care facility residents and staff, and it'll take some time before those vaccinations are completed."
He said the new recommendations from ACIP offer suggestions for the next rounds: Phase 1B and Phase 1C. The Illinois Department of Public Health are reviewing those recommendations and the context of Illinois' data and an update will be provided in the new year what the coming phases will look like in Illinois, Pritzker said.
In Illinois, including the City of Chicago, 191,000 vaccine doses have been administered as of Tuesday night.
"That's more than any other state in the nation so far," Pritzker said. "That's a product of the hard work and deliberate process of IDPH and IEMA vaccine distribution teams, our state's local public health departments, the Illinois Health and Hospitals Association, and the amazing staff on the ground maximizing efficiency and minimizing waste," Pritzker said. "Their success is a win for all of us."
The Governor said this week's allocation of the vaccines from the government include 23,400 Pfizer doses, plus an additional 15,600 for Chicago. Plus another 37,050 Pfizer doses from Illinois' allocation set aside for the federal government's long-term care vaccination program outside of Chicago operated by CVS and Walgreens.
"The majority of those shipments were shipped directly to locations around the state yesterday, with the final shipments arriving today," Pritzker said. "This week also marks the beginning of Moderna shipments here and across the nation. Today and tomorrow 174,600 Moderna doses will arrive direct to providers and local health departments across the state. With Chicago expecting another 48,000 this week on its own."
The Moderna vaccine does not require ultra-cold freezer storage and has a longer shelf life of 30 days if kept refrigerated after it has thawed, which allows for more flexibility in its distribution, Pritzker said. With this week's shipment, the COVID-19 vaccine will have reached all 102 counties in Illinois.
Next week's tentative allotment by the federal government is "reasonably consistent with what we expect based on the updated reduced allocation that I announced last week," Pritzker said.
The Governor said our lives are full of so many unknowns right now, and our childcare services know that all too well.
"The challenges childcare services are seeing are staff calling in sick or staying home to take care of their own families, concerns about community transmission, families pulling their kids out of care - these tumultuous times have rained down in multiple ways upon our early childcare network providers and I wanted to make it easier for them so that we can make sure childcare is available to parents who need it," Pritzker said. "As we face down this pandemic during this winter, Illinois is going to step in and help all providers and families enrolled in our Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), secure a little more stability and flexibility, just as we did in the spring."
He said the state will cover all eligible days of CCAP payments for December, January, and February - no matter what your attendance looks like. Providers just need to send a waiver form to the state.
"I want to commend the incredible staff at the Department of Human Services, who have done such an amazing job managing our federal relief funds and our existing state dollars so that we can offer this additional winter support to providers and families," Pritzker said.
Illinois is ready to implement Illinois' portion of the $10 billion in child care support included in Congress' stimulus package.
"Throughout the pandemic I have called for more assistance for this critical sector and I am pleased to see the recognition of this need in this latest round of stimulus," Pritzker said.
Dr. Ngozi Ezike, head of the Illinois Department of Public Health: "As we all know, this has been the year that no one dreamed of or asked for. Lives have been lost. Businesses have been turned upside down. And our everyday norms have been interrupted. And hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans had their health deteriorate at the hands of a deadly virus. I want to thank the Illinoisans who are taking this virus seriously, who listen to public health guidance, and practiced mitigation measures that saved many, many lives."
She said it goes without saying that 2020 was the year of the essential worker, from the nurses and doctors treating COVID patients to grocery and factory workers that have kept Illinois moving.
"We are indebted to your service, as of course some have lost their lives in doing so," Dr. Ezike said.
On Wednesday, Illinois public health officials reported 6,762 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 918,070. Additionally, 135 people have died, bringing the total death toll in Illinois to 15,547.
As of Tuesday, 4,593 people statewide were hospitalized due to COVID-19, with 953 patients receiving intensive care and 536 on ventilators.
The new cases were among 82,328 tests sent to the Illinois Department of Public Health, bringing the state’s positivity rate back up to 7.5 percent from 7.4 percent. In total, 12.6 million tests have been conducted.
"Yes, there is a long road to go, but we are truly at the beginning of the end," Dr. Ezike said. "There's still road to cover, but we have to have, have to, have to stay the course. You can't let people who made it this far not make it to the finish line. We've gone too far to turn back now.
"The best way to avoid another surge in hospitalizations, another surge in deaths, another surge in new infections is to celebrate the holidays at home with the family that you currently live with. And I know it sounds crazy to ask that yet again, and I know that some of you will and I know that some of you won't or can't, and for those of you I ask for you to think of additional safety measures that you can employ as you travel, as you gather, that can make the visits somewhat safer than the safest option. For those that are staying home, I know you have to reflect on this tough year; all of us are reflecting on this tough year and are thinking of our loved ones. But we will make plans for next year and we will hope for many of the people who are here with us to still be there next year," Dr. Ezike said.
She said we still have to mask up, we still have to wash our hands, we still have to back up and keep that six feet of distance, and it is not too late to get your flu shot.