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Where To Get The Coronavirus Vaccine In Illinois

Gov. J.B. Pritzker predicts vaccine supply will surge by 67 percent in the coming weeks. But where can you actually get the shot?

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ILLINOIS — Waiting for the coronavirus vaccine isn't the hardest part — it's not even being able to get in line. With demand far outpacing supply, the rollout has been slow-going in Illinois and across the country, and winter weather has further delayed shipments, leaving many frustrated as they try to sign up for the life-saving shot.

On top of the delays, the rules keep changing. Earlier this month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced plans to expand eligibility to those under 65 with other risk factors, such as cancer, heart disease or diabetes. The new rules were supposed to take effect Feb. 25, but many local health departments quickly reversed course, opting out of following the state's guidance due to vaccine shortages.

Right now, the biggest factor in getting a vaccine seems to be luck, with some shots going to people in the right place at the right time — regardless of age — as providers rush to find arms to jab before unclaimed doses go bad.

Find out what's happening in Across Illinoisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Despite all that, hope may lie just around the corner. Gov. Pritzker on Wednesday predicted a two-thirds increase in vaccine availability within just a couple weeks, and a new single-shot vaccine from Johnson & Johnson is likely to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration as soon as Friday, further increasing supply by as many as 20 million shots by the end of March.

In the meantime, Patch has the latest information on how to find a vaccine in Illinois. The first step is determining if you are eligible.

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Who is eligible?

Phase 1a (statewide)

  • Health care workers
  • Residents and staff in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities

Phase 1b (statewide)

  • Anyone age 65 or older
  • Frontline essential workers, including:
    • first reponders (fire, law enforcement, 911 workers, security personnel, school officers)
    • Education (teachers, school administrators and other school support staff, day care workers)
    • Food and agriculture (workers in processing plants, veterinary health, livestock services and animal care)
    • Manufacturing (Workers involved in the industrial production of goods)
    • Corrections workers and prisoners (correctional officers and prison staff, incarcerated individuals)
    • U.S. Postal Service workers
    • Public transit workers (flight crew, bus drivers, train conductors, taxi drivers, para-transit drivers, in-person support, ride-sharing service drivers)
    • Grocery store workers (baggers, cashiers, stockers, pickup and customer service personnel)
    • Shelter and adult day care staff (Workers in homeless shelters, women's shelters, adult day/drop-in programs and sheltered workshops)

Phase 1b Plus (not available statewide)

  • Anyone with a medical condition that puts them at increased risk for the coronavirus disease, including:
    • Obesity
    • Diabetes
    • Pulmonary diseases
    • Smoking
    • Heart conditions
    • Chronic kidney disease
    • Cancer
    • Solid Organ Transplant
    • Sickle Cell Disease
    • Pregnancy
    • Any physical, developmental, visual, hearing or mental disability not covered in previous categories

Where to sign up?

If you're eligible for the vaccine, your options include signing up through a local pharmacy or hosptial, a mass vaccination site or your county health department. Most pharmacies are following the state's expanded eligibility criteria, while county-run points of distribution (called PODs) seem to be waiting until vaccine supplies increase.

Pharmacies offering the vaccine include:

If pharmacy appointments are booked, your next best bet is signing up through one of the county health departments, local hospitals, or National Guard-run mass vaccination sites listed below:

Officials say to bring documentation that shows you are eligible, such as state ID and employee verification — a work ID or badge, a paycheck stub, CityKey card or a letter from your employer. Providers will not ask about immigration status.

How do the vaccines work, and are they safe?

The two leading coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are both mRNA vaccines. Unlike traditional flu vaccines, they don't contain any of the virus itself, but rather reprogram your cells to fight it.

Both are around 95 percent effective at preventing illness but nearly 100 percent effective at preventing hospitalizations or deaths. Both require two shots, about a month apart, to reach full efficacy, though studies suggest a single shot may offer some protection.

A single-shot vaccine from Johnson & Johnson is also expected to be approved by the FDA for emergency use in the coming days. Like a flu vaccine, J&J's shot contains a dead piece of the coronavirus, which stimulates an immune response. While it is less effective at preventing illness than the Pfizer and Moderna variants — about 66 percent effective, the drugmaker says — it is just as effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths, only requires one dose, and is much easier to store.

All the vaccines have been through multi-phase clinical trials with more than 30,000 participants, and the FDA says they are safe. That doesn't mean there won't be any side effects — the most common being soreness at the injection site, fatigue, fever, chills and headache. But officials say the side effects are short-lived, comparable to those experienced with the Shingles vaccine or seasonal flu shot, and much better than actually catching the coronavirus.

If you are pregnant or have had allergic reactions to vaccines in the past, you should talk to your doctor before signing up for a vaccine. Officials say everyone else should get a vaccine as soon as they are able, both to keep from getting sick themselves and to stop the spread of the virus to friends, family and neighbors.

All vaccines are free to the public, with or without health insurance.

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Related:Illinois COVID-19 Vaccine Information

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