Who in Chicago is at the forefront of COVID vaccines and why – NBC Chicago

Who will be the first to receive the approved coronavirus vaccine sent to the city? The mayor of Chicago and the Supreme Health Authority outlined the city’s plans on Wednesday, detailing the loose sequence of vaccinations for residents.

According to Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Dr. Alison Alwadi of the Chicago Public Health Service, all 34 hospitals in Chicago will “treat COVID patients or perform procedures at high risk of COVID-19 infection.” It is a medical worker who does. ..

Officials said these initial doses could be allocated as early as next week, awaiting approval from federal regulators to be considered in the coming weeks. Both Pfizer and Moderna have submitted an emergency vaccine license to the FDA.

CDPH expects to receive 23,000 doses in the first batch, but reports of these numbers are fluctuating. Health officials say additional doses of the vaccine will arrive in Chicago each week thereafter, but the exact number is unknown.

Chicago health officials said there are about 400,000 health workers in the city, including doctors, nurses and other hospital staff.

After front-line healthcare workers, the city states that priorities are prioritized: care facility residents and staff, workers in essential and important industries, including first aid workers, for underlying health care. People at high risk for severe COVID-19 disease Condition and people over 65 years of age.

City officials say the goal is for all adults in Chicago to be vaccinated free of charge to individuals in 2021 through clinics, retail pharmacies, hospitals, health centers and more.

Health officials said the CDPH prioritized long-term care facilities for several reasons: structural racism that caused distrust in the black community because the pandemic had a serious impact on these facilities. For the history of. Officials said many residents and staff of the care facility are Black Chicagoers.

“The important thing is that we also have plans to ensure equal access to the vaccine throughout the city. We know that some communities, especially the black community, are unlikely to get the flu vaccine. History We need to be honest about the harm, and the structural racial discrimination that created this distrust. That’s why we work closely with our community partners and the mayor’s racial fairness and swift response team. “

The city’s plans closely reflect the plans announced by Illinois health officials on Tuesday, and Illinois health officials also said they expect the first shipment of vaccines to arrive next week.

Governor JB Pritzker said on Tuesday that the vaccine is said to “likely arrive in the week of December 13-19.”^thHowever, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with the federal government, noted that it is giving the state some mixed-signals on the exact date of birth.

That said, Dr. Godi Ejike, director of the Illinois Public Health Service, says the state is still planning to receive the vaccine during that period.

“I’m looking forward to the vaccine next week,” she said. “And I’m hoping for a weekly vaccine dose to arrive after that. At first you might just be looking at Pfizer, but I hope other vaccines will come soon.”

The state is currently planning to inoculate approximately 109,000 doses, including 23,000, which will be sent directly to Chicago when Pfizer’s vaccine is approved by the FDA.

Once these vaccines come in, Ejike says the state will withdraw all suspensions with an “all-in-Illinois” effort to ensure that the vaccines are administered as quickly and efficiently as possible. ..

“People go to their doctor’s office. Mass vaccination drives are held. Some are in churches, pharmacies, and local health departments,” she said. “There are countless opportunities to get vaccines. Drive-through vaccination efforts are also needed. They will continue to grow as they become widely available to the public.”

According to Pritzker, each county has its own plans for how vaccines are distributed, and the governor will ensure that vaccines are distributed as fairly as possible in cities such as Chicago and more rural areas. He points out that various strategies will be implemented for this. ..

Illinois health officials said health care workers, first responders, and residents and staff of assembly living facilities could be the first to receive treatment in the state when treatment was provided.