NorthShore Prepares To Vaccinate Seniors As Phase 1b Begins

EVANSTON, IL — Patients of NorthShore University Health System aged 65 and older should expect to receive information before the end of the month about how to receive a coronavirus vaccine.

Starting Monday, Illinois is scheduled to begin rolling out the vaccine to members of the second set of priority groups in Phase 1b, the second phase of the state's COVID-19 vaccination plan.

In addition to seniors, who are at higher risk of complications if infected with the virus, the priority group includes those considered "frontline essential workers," who are at a higher risk of being exposed to the virus because of their jobs.

According to a statement from a NorthShore spokesperson, the six-hospital group is preparing to administer the vaccine only to those 65 and over, as well as the health care and nursing home residents and staff who were already included in the Phase 1a priority group.

Current NorthShore patients 65 and up will get an email in the coming week that will tell them what steps to follow to register for an appointment to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, hospital officials said Thursday. No information about the number of patients being notified or the number of vaccines being requested by the six-hospital group was immediately available Thursday.

Local public health agencies will be tasked with providing vaccines to essential workers who qualify in Phase 1b, according to NorthShore.

Residents of the following areas can pre-register for vaccine information from local health departments: Chicago, Evanston, Skokie, Lake County and Suburban Cook County (other than Evanston, Skokie, Oak Park and Stickney Township).

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, about 1 percent of the state's population had been fully vaccinated as of Thursday. More than 23,000 doses had been administered in Lake County, over 102,000 doses had been administered in suburban Cook County and more than 111,000 Chicagoans had been jabbed.

On Tuesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced four new state-supported vaccination sites had been established and would be open six days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They will be located in North Riverside, Robbins, Cicero and Ford Heights.

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