Slow Pace For Vaccine Distribution Continues In Lake

LAKE COUNTY, IL — Nearly 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been doled out to Illinois residents to date, which includes a total of 86,860 vaccines that have been administered in Lake County.

That means 12.4 percent of residents here have received at least one of the two required doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. And a much smaller percentage, only 2.57 percent of Lake County's total population has been fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, more than 472,000 Illinois residents have received both of their COVID-19 shots, which accounts for 3.71 percent of the state's total population.

In Lake, where 18,014 residents have been fully vaccinated in the past two months, there's been a slow uptick in the number of doses administered daily as more shots have become available and additional partners, including pharmacies and vaccination clinics, have opened up.

As of Wednesday, an average of 3,300 doses of the vaccine are being administered every day in Lake County, according to IDPH stats. A week ago, 700 fewer vaccines were being doled out per day, on average, in Lake County.

Here is a look at the age breakdown of those who have received the vaccine so far in Lake;

• 65 years and older: 31,875
• 16 to 64 years old: 54,984

Meanwhile, 54,408 females have received the COVID-19 vaccine and 31,525 males have gotten their shot. And here is a look at the breakdown of race/ethnicity demographics for those vaccinated to date:

• White: 59,826 (68.9 percent)
• Hispanic or Latino: 6.884 residents (7.93 percent)
• Asian: 6,026 (6.94 percent)
• Black: 2,471 (2.84 percent)
• Unknown: 8,245 (9.49 percent)

State health officials have said inclement weather has slowed vaccine distribution and lead to delays in vaccine deliveries from the federal government.

"We are in contact with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal agencies to understand the logistical challenges and if there is anything Illinois can do to expedite getting vaccine," state health officials noted in a Thursday news release.

Lake County has been vaccinating for two months now, and the Lake County Health Department first began receiving a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines in mid-December. Those first vaccines were doled out to front-line health care workers and nursing home staff and residents

Currently, Illinois is in Phase 1b of its vaccination plan, which began on Jan. 25. In this phase, an estimated 200,000 of Lake County's 700,000 residents, including those 65 and older, front-line essential workers and inmates, are eligible to receive their vaccine. A detailed list of those included in Phase 1b can be found here.

And starting this past Monday, the Lake County Health Department opened up its mass vaccination site at the Lake County fairgrounds to those 65 years old and older. Vaccinations of healthcare workers and others eligible in Phase 1a are also continuing at the site and through partnering vaccine providers across the county.

• Lake Co. Mass Vaccination Site Opens Up To 65, Older This Week

“We want our residents to know that our vaccination efforts extend far beyond Health Department clinics—our partners have been vaccinating seniors since Phase 1b started," said Mark Pfister, Executive Director at the Lake County Health Department. "We continue working through the growing list of Phase 1a healthcare workers and those eligible in Phase 1b, and these phases will continue to overlap. We now have hospitals, healthcare providers, pharmacies, manufacturing employers, and schools working together to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible across the county.”

Many community Points of Dispensing, or PODS, are also opening up across the county. For example, North Chicago and Waukegan seniors age 65 and older can now sign up for a vaccine appointment at a clinic co-sponsored by AbbVie and the city of North Chicago and hosted at Greenbelt Cultural Center in Waukegan began Monday. More information on health department sites where vaccinates are being administered can be found on the Lake County Health Department website.

The IDPH vaccine locator website provides a directory of locations offering COVID-19 vaccines, including dozens of pharmacies in Lake County. At this time, all sites are providing vaccinations by appointment only.

• Vaccination Site Opens In North Chicago For Local Seniors

Local health officials estimate it will take several months for everyone in Phase 1b to receive their vaccine in Lake County, Pfister said.

"If you are currently eligible and are frustrated that you can't get an appointment, please understand that you are not forgotten, but part of a very large group that became eligible before vaccines were widely available," Pfizer said. "A majority of our eligible residents do not yet have the ability to schedule an appointment, and we continue working tirelessly to ensure that everyone who wants to get vaccinated will be able to do so in time."

Anyone who lives or works in Lake County, and who is interested in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, is encouraged to register in the AllVax Portal. Registration is free, easy and secure. People who do not have access to a computer or smartphone to register in the AllVax system may call (847) 377-8130 or email AllVax@lakecountyil.gov for assistance.

The AllVax system does not email everyone who is eligible at the same time. It will notify you when all three of these things occur:

• You are eligible in the current phase of vaccinations;
• The Health Department has received a shipment of vaccine; AND
• Vaccination appointments are currently available.

A new option was recently added to AllVax allowing residents to opt-in and consent to allow the health department to securely share their registration information with local vaccination partners. This option gives registrants more access to partnering community vaccination sites that open as vaccine supply increases.

Residents are encouraged to check with their own healthcare provider and register with additional vaccine providers who may have appointments available but residents should keep in mind that all vaccine providers have very limited appointment availability due to limited vaccine supply, health officials have said in recent weeks.

• 'Enroll Wherever You Can' For COVID Vaccine: Health Official