Illinois Fire and Police Commissioners Association - UPDATE: State Expects 109,000 First-Round Vaccine Doses

UPDATE: State Expects 109,000 First-Round Vaccine Doses

1 Dec 2020 8:10 PM | Anonymous

Gov. J.B. Pritzker Tuesday said that Illinois currently expects to receive 109,000 doses in the first round of COVID-19 vaccine shipments, which would vaccinate about 54,500 people, most or all of whom will be frontline hospital workers. However, he said that the expected number of vaccine doses changes daily.

“That’s just the very first shipment. That’s not all that we will ever receive, that’s just what they are telling us today. I’m hoping that we’ll get more and I hope that number doesn’t change, but we’re at the whim of the FDA, the CDC, and the federal government as far as those first shipments,” he said.

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said that they will be following data closely to see who has been immunized over the coming months and then making decisions about prioritization of available vaccines from there.

Pritzker also commented on the status of 11 long-term care facilities owned by Infinity Healthcare Management around the Chicago area as SEIU Healthcare Illinois workers enter the second week of strikes calling for hazard pay.

“Given the significant federal and state financial support for nursing homes during this pandemic, it's important that workers see that funding reflected in their workplace, in their safety, and their pay. It’s important to me that the owner and the unions are able to sit down and negotiate quickly and in good faith so that they can get back to the work that matters most: getting our residents safely through this pandemic,” he said.

He also called on Congressional leaders, who are currently discussing further pandemic stimulus legislation, to include financial relief for bars and restaurants in their plans, which he said have been some of the hardest hit businesses in the pandemic.

-Allison Richard

Illinois Fire and Police Association

799 Roosevelt Rd. Bldg 6

Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software