Evanston Announces COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan

Press release from the City of Evanston:

Following the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization for the first COVID-19 vaccine, the City of Evanston’s Health and Human Services Department is providing the community with an update on plans for vaccine distribution in Evanston.

The City has been working closely with federal, state and local public health partners, including AMITA Health and NorthShore University HealthSystem, to develop comprehensive plans for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to the community.

“The City is working hand-in-hand with our public health partners at all levels to ensure that all community members have access to the COVID-19 vaccine in the months to come, starting with frontline healthcare workers, emergency medical services personnel, and those most vulnerable to severe illness from COVID-19,” Health and Human Services Director Ike Ogbo said. “Providing this safe, effective vaccine to all community members who wish to receive it will take months, not days, and it’s critical that we all continue to follow public health guidance, including practicing social distancing, wearing face coverings, and washing hands frequently, whether we’ve received the vaccine or not.”

The first phase is anticipated to begin this week as the City receives its first allotment of vaccines and distributes them to Evanston’s two local hospitals. A limited supply of vaccines will be available initially, with supplies expected to continually increase in the months ahead.

In accordance with state and federal guidance, initial vaccines will be prioritized for healthcare workers, especially those who treat COVID-19 patients directly, as well as paramedics and residents and staff of long-term care facilities. Vaccinations of frontline healthcare workers will begin this week, followed by residents and staff of long-term care facilities and paramedics in late December.

Hospitals will vaccinate their own employees, and long-term care facilities will work with CVS and Walgreens to provide on-site vaccinations as part of a federal program. The City is working with local partners to make the vaccine easily accessible to paramedics.

As supplies continually increase in the coming weeks, the City will work with public health partners to ensure that essential workers and those at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 have access to vaccinations. Following distribution to these priority groups, vaccines will become available to the general public at designated vaccination sites in the months to come. Dates for each distribution phase have not yet been determined. The City will provide regular updates to the public as more information is available.

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, residents should visit the Illinois Department of Public Health’s FAQ page or contact their primary healthcare provider.

This press release was produced by the City of Evanston. The views expressed here are the author’s own.