Building on guidance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Governor JB Pritzker announced guidelines for the next stage of COVID-19 vaccine distribution across Illinois – Phase 1B.
Phase 1B will begin when Phase 1A is substantially complete. It will include all Illinois residents aged 65 and older and “frontline essential workers,” as outlined by ACIP:
- first responders (e.g., firefighters and police officers)
- corrections officers
- food and agricultural workers
- U.S. Postal Service workers
- manufacturing workers
- grocery store workers
- public transit workers
- and those who work in the education sector (teachers and support staff members) as well as child care workers
All in all, Phase 1B totals approximately 1.3 million people who qualify as “frontline essential workers” and 1.9 million adults age 65 and over, totaling 3.2 million eligible Illinoisans.
As the state enters Phase 1B, the government will be utilizing every available resource at the state’s disposal to ensure that as many Illinoisans as possible can receive the vaccine as quickly as possible.
Large manufacturers interested in self-administring the vaccine to their 1B eligible employees should register with the Illinois Comprehensive Automated Immunization Registry Exchange. More information can be found on the IDPH website: https://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/prevention-wellness/immunization/icare