Statewide, an in-between phase that expanded eligibility to those with health conditions only began on Feb. 25, but much of the Chicago area did not follow suit. Officials from the city, along with Cook County and some collar counties, said vaccination progress in the current Phase 1b was not satisfactory enough to move on, although the introduction of the United Center mass inoculation center last week were set to allow any Illinoisan with those conditions to sign up at the time, until geographic restrictions were added.
Illinois neighbors, however, are advancing through their vaccine phases, with Indiana and Ohio this week extending eligibility to all young adults at least 45 and 40 years old, respectively.
Arwady has said she predicts most people in Phase 1c will get their vaccine throughout April and May. And those in earlier phases will continue to be prioritized by primary care providers and the city’s hotline at 312-746-4835, she said.
Meanwhile, both Lightfoot and Arwady reiterated optimism about President Joe Biden’s announcement last week that all adults in the U.S. should be eligible for the shot by May 1, but they prefaced that hope with the caveat that there must be more vaccine sent to Chicago.
“I was honestly surprised to hear President Biden call for eligibility for all adults by May 1 since the vaccine supply we’ve received to date in Chicago would not necessarily support that timeline,” Arwady said. “But I’m taking it as a sign that the federal government is confident the vaccine supply will ramp up even faster over the spring.”