Chicago To Start Vaccinating Some People 65 And Older Next Week

CHICAGO — Starting next week, Chicago healthcare providers will be allowed to administer coronavirus vaccines to high-risk people older than 65, city officials said.

Public health officials on Wednesday said hospitals and health care providers with available vaccine that do not have health care workers scheduled for inoculations can start giving coronavirus vaccine to "highest risk individuals that are over 65 years old and live or work in Chicago" starting Jan. 18.

Health department officials said health care providers have been advised to first vaccinate patients over 75 or people over 65 who have underlying conditions that put them at high risk for severe COVID-19 complications.

The move came after the federal government on Monday called on states to immediately expand the vaccination pool to include people 65 or older, and folks with underlying health conditions. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar called the move the most effective way to save lives.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced last week that people 65 and older would be eligible to be vaccinated during the so-called "1B" phase of the inoculation roll out, which hasn't started yet in Illinois.