First Coronavirus Vaccine Doses To Roll Out In Cook County

CHICAGO — On a day when new confirmed 7,214 COVID-19 cases and 103 deaths were announced, the first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine arrived Monday in the Chicago area.

“As COVID-19 rages on it is my sincere hope that today marks the moment, Dec. 14, as the day flagged as the beginning of the end of the pandemic,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said Monday during a news conference. “May we never experience another year as marked by such grief and mourning as 2020.”

Illinois has received about 43,000 doses at the Illinois Strategic National Stockpile. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a tweet. Chicago and local health departments in Cook, Lake, Madison and St. Clair counties expect to receive direct shipments this week. The first doses have been allocated to regional hospital centers across the state.

The first-ever mRNA vaccine allowed for rapid development was approved last week by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization for adults aged 16 and older. The Pfizer vaccine, administered in two doses, has demonstrated 95 percent efficacy.

To achieve herd immunity, a minimum of 70 percent of the population must receive the vaccine. The Cook County Emergency Operations Center is coordinating vaccine receipt, storage and distribution of the vaccine to hospitals and other health care providers.

The Cook County Department of Public Health is the state-certified local public health department overseeing the vaccine’s distribution to suburban Cook County’s 2.5 million residents.

Cook County health officials unveiled their plans to distribute about 20,000 doses this week during a news conference on Monday. The first doses have been allocated to based on essential staff and COVID-19 impact. Hospitals will administer the vaccine to their own employees.

Health care workers, especially those working directly with COVID-19 patients, are expected to start getting vaccinated Wednesday during in Phase 1 of the rollout plan. Rocha said that 70 percent of the 6,000 employees working within the Cook County health network at Stroger and Provident hospitals have signed up to receive the vaccine. Immunization for county employees is voluntary.

Health care providers, nursing home residents, first responders and corrections officers will receive the vaccine first, Dr. Kiran Joshi, colead for the Cook County Department of Public Health, said. High risk adults may follow based on CDC recommendations. There are 654,598 health care workers and 109,227 nursing-home residents at the front of the line for the vaccine in Illinois.

Pharmacy partnerships with CVS and Walgreens, which have federal contracts, will vaccinate residents and health care workers at long-term health care facilities.

“We encourage all healthcare workers, staff and residents of long-term care facilities to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is available,” said Dr. Kirin Joshi, a senior medical officer and colead for the Cook County health department. “Although the first doses of the vaccine are here, we must all remain vigilant and continue to wear a mask, watch our distance and wash our hands, whether we have received the vaccine or not.”

The Cook County Department of Public Health will take the lead in coordinating immunizations for the most at-risk populations in the poorest communities and bridging gaps in coverage.

“When we get beyond healthcare and first responders, we are committed to a program that focuses on populations at most risk,” Cook County Health CEO Israel Rocha, Jr. said. “This pandemic has been another glaring example of the inequities in our nation. We have watched minority communities suffer the brunt of this virus, the rate of illness and the rate of death. Our focus on vaccine distribution will ensure that we prioritize health equity.”

Cook County health officials are looking to form community partnerships to help distribute the vaccine. Health care providers can sign up to be a vaccine provider on the Cook County Department of Public Health website.

Pharmacy partnerships with CVS and Walgreens, which have federal contracts, will vaccinate residents and health care workers at long-term health care facilities.

Mobile and drive-thru vaccination events are being planned, said Dr. Rachel Rubin, colead for Cook County's health department. Once the vaccine is distributed to the public, residents are likely to receive it at pharmacies, such as CVS and Walgreens, parking lots, churches and YMCAs.

Cook County health officials also have plans to address misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines not being safe, through town halls, partnering with news media and social media campaigns. During Monday’s live stream of the news conference announcing the shipment of the Pfizer vaccination, a viewer remarking: “Please don’t make this vaccination a requirement for employment! It's not safe!”

Chicago, which has its own public health department, announced that it had received its first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine. Loretto Hospital in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood has been chosen for the first ceremonial vaccine.

The Lake County Health Department has set up a registry for residents to be notified when the vaccine becomes available to the public. Lake County residents can register online by giving basic information about themselves and answering screening questions.

Yoshi said the county does not anticipate setting up a similar registry because most suburban Cook County residents will likely receive the vaccine at community inoculation events, pharmacies, clinics or from their doctors. While the vaccine is free, health care providers may charge patients to receive the vaccine. Residents should visit CCDPH for more information about Cook County’s rollout and development of the vaccine.

Northwestern Medicine issued a statement Monday saying it had not yet received its allocation of COVID-19 vaccine.

“We do anticipate receiving shipments at our hospitals soon. Our plan is to begin vaccinations to our workforce by midweek, if not sooner, and this will occur at a number of Northwestern Medicine hospitals concurrently. As background, the COVID-19 vaccination will not be mandatory for employees. Employees must opt in if they chose to receive the vaccine. And we will be taking a tiered approach to vaccinating our workforce with employees working in COVID-19 units or with COVID positive patients being in the first grouping."

Similarly, a spokeswoman for Advocate Aurora Health Care said the launch of its team member vaccination program is imminent as some distribution sites have begun to receive their first shipments. Advocate Aurora has more information about its vaccine online.

“We know the community is eager for information, and our priority is fair and equitable distribution of the vaccine in line with recommendations from federal and state governments, the CDC and our own medical ethics guidelines,” Lee Ann Betz said.