SPRINGFIELD, Ill. � After months of spreading awareness, Gov. JB Pritzker got his shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine Wednesday. As a government employee, the governor was eligible to get his vaccine under Phase 1B. Standing inside the Orr Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, Pritzker said vaccines offer the fastest way back to normal life.
As of Wednesday morning, 5 million doses have been administered across Illinois. But, there’s been some inconsistency in the data reported recently. Pritzker explained that federal pharmacy partners sometimes don’t report their data to the Illinois Department of Public Health on time. With more vaccines going to pharmacies, the governor said partners haven’t kept up with entering the data in IDPH’s system.
“You’ve even seen an adjustment in the numbers over the last couple days. We’re trying to make sure that as that data comes in, it gets put into the system and you could see all of it,� Pritzker said. “But suffice to say that we’ve been at about 100,000 for a number of weeks, a week and a half I believe.�
The governor explained the federal government already announced Illinois should expect more shipments of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to increase the number of doses given each day. Pritzker also said the Biden administration has followed through on the promise to increase vaccinations each week since President Joe Biden took office.
Anyone struggling to get appointments can call the COVID-19 vaccine hotline at 833-621-1284. The call center is available seven days a week from 6 a.m. to midnight.
Expansion of vaccine sites
Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau also highlighted the work of over 1,400 National Guard troops tasked with standing up and supporting mass vaccination sites. She explained the state currently has 86 National Guard vaccine teams deployed. More than 700 guardsmen and women have helped fix vaccine sites. Illinois currently has 14 mass vaccination sites.
“They’re open to all eligible Illinoisans, regardless of your zip code, immigration status, and your ability to pay or healthcare insurance. The vaccine is free and available to you,� Tate-Nadeau said.
While the state surpassed 5 doses given, Tate-Nadeau said the National Guard administered nearly half a million of those shots. She asked for anyone who received a vaccine to tell their family and friends about the experience.
“Together, whenever we’re all vaccinated, we all have hope and we resolve,� Tate-Nadeau added.
Watching the rise in cases, hospitalization for COVID-19
Still, the governor stressed his concern that people have started to let their guard down. IDPH officials reported nearly 2,800 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Wednesday. That’s the highest single-day increase Illinois has seen since the middle of February.
The state’s rolling positivity rate has also significantly jumped to 2.8%. Pritzker says 66% of seniors in Illinois already received a dose of vaccine. Currently, one in three people over 16 are vaccinated. While the state moves closer to the bridge phase, people must watch the rise in cases and new hospital admissions.
“If for some reason we need to halt or move some region back into a previous phase because the numbers are going way up and beyond the guidelines that we set out for these phases, then we’ll have to do that. But, that’s not where we are now,� the governor said.
Pritzker showed concern about rising positivity rates, as they could come from new COVID-19 variants or a blip in data. He stressed that people should continue to keep their distance and wear masks because the pandemic isn’t over.
