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Illinois’ 10 regional hospital coordination centers will serve as distribution centers for the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, officials said on Friday.
The 50 counties with the highest per capita death rates will be the first to receive the vaccine, Governor JB Pritzker said on Friday as Illinois reported 10,526 newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
Authorities expect a first delivery of 109,000 doses of vaccine by mid-month.
Illinois follows federal guidelines for the distribution of the vaccine, to health care professionals and residents of nursing homes in what is called phase 1a.
“A few quick math will tell you that it will take several weeks of distribution to even provide our healthcare workers with the first of two doses they need, while reaching residents of long-term care facilities,” Pritzker said. .
Dr Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said the first shipment of vaccine will be received by the IDPH directly from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state agency has 20 ultra-cold freezers to store the doses, the doctor added.
The doses will be sent to regional hospital coordination centers and from there will be distributed to the 50 counties with the highest per capita death rates.
County health departments will receive the vaccine from designated hospitals, Ezike said.
Major cities, such as Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, the governor said, will each receive a separate and direct supply of the vaccine. Distribution in Chicago will be coordinated with the rest of Illinois.
Illinois Regional Hospital Coordination Centers are listed below:
- Region 1 – Rockford Memorial Hospital – Rockford
- Region 2 – OSF St. Francis Medical Center – Peoria
- Region 3 – St. John’s Hospital – Springfield
- Region 4 – Memorial Hospital – Belleville
- Region 5 – SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale – Carbondale
- Region 6 – Carle Foundation Hospital – Urbana
- Region 7 – Advocate Christ Medical Center – Oak Lawn
- Region 8 – Loyola University Medical Center – Maywood
- Region 9 – Lawyer Sherman Medical Center – Elgin
- Region 10 – Northshore Highland Park Hospital – Highland Park
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