State officials preach patience and honor when scheduling vaccinations

As more Illinois residents are vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine within two weeks, state officials are qualifying those who are already eligible to become patients and those who will soon be “honored” when planning. I’m looking for.

“We’re asking people for that horrifying word, as there will be fewer vaccine reservations until federal supply of vaccines increases, but we still have to say that-” patience “, the Illinois public. Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of Health, mentioned above. “We also understand that people need to claim and testify that they are respected and qualified.”

Governor JB Pritzker says “enhanced” efforts to increase vaccine doses to the state will include “medically vulnerable” individuals under the age of 65 on the list of eligible vaccinations from February 25 He said he led the decision to start things. Vaccine doses are expected to reach the state next week, a “significant increase” from weekly deliveries a month ago, he said.

“Supply is growing steadily,” Pritzker said. “And take a step back and remember who we are talking about. It’s the most medically vulnerable. I didn’t want to wait anymore. We’re happy with the opportunity to serve those people. doing.”

People under the age of 65 with cancer, kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other lung diseases, diabetes, heart disease, weakened immunity after solid organ transplantation, obesity, pregnancy and sickle cell disease are added to the list I will.

Health officials in Cook County and Chicago have said they will not expand their eligibility because they are inaccessible to those who are already seeking injections due to a lack of vaccines.

Many older people struggling to secure vaccination appointments are worried that including additional residents will make their search more difficult.

Ejike said he understood their concerns.

“There are some logistics challenges, which are easy to figure out from an ID over 65, but it’s very important that people don’t try to misrepresent information,” she said. “We need to be aware that there are people who absolutely need this vaccine more than others, even though we all want this. Absolutely everyone will benefit. We have to think of our neighbors and the elderly who need to be vaccinated. People who are in a real situation, avoid using loopholes and do not jump in front of the line . “

She warned that if there was widespread fraud in the appointment process, “check if you need to do more rigorous things.”

The new eligibility will add an unknown number to the more than 4 million residents who are already eligible for the vaccine. So far, the state has given at least one double-dose regimen to nearly 10% of the state’s 12.7 million residents, according to IDPH figures.

Senator Patrick Joyce, a Democrat of Essex, was with Pritzker and Ejike on a tour of a federal qualified health center in Chicago Heights on Friday. He said he was “optimistic” at a long hearing in the Senate on Thursday as Ejike testified to the challenges that residents had to address in order to schedule vaccination appointments.

“I ask you for patience,” he said on Friday. “Illinois is rapidly becoming one of the leading states of vaccine distribution in the country. Yours are coming.”

As of Friday, IDPH figures indicate that state vaccine providers have administered 68.9% of all doses delivered to the state so far. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Illinois, like Washington, DC, administered the fifth highest dose in any state, but was the 36th best dose per 100,000 inhabitants. ..

The state is also ranked 32nd in the state in terms of the percentage of dose delivered to the arm of the inhabitants.