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Smoking is on the list of high-risk medical conditions and co-morbidities that make a person eligible for the coronavirus vaccine under Illinois Phase 1B plus.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, smoking is considered a “qualifying condition” in the phase alongside other conditions like cancer, diabetes, obesity, pregnancy and more.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that “Being a current or former cigarette smoker increases your risk of serious illness from COVID-19.”
Illinois entered its Phase 1B Plus on February 25, increasing eligibility to include people with certain underlying conditions and comorbidities. The move made an additional 3.4 million people in Illinois eligible for the vaccine.
Smoking was not on the list of eligible conditions when the phase was first announced, but was added when the state entered the phase last week.
To see how you can sign up for an appointment for a COVID vaccine in Illinois, click here.
The list of eligible high-risk medical conditions, which the state said were subject to change, initially included:
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Diabetes
- Cardiac problem
- Immunocompromised condition following a solid organ transplant
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Pulmonary Disease
- Sickle cell anemia
The expansion applied to people 16 and older who were not otherwise covered in previous eligibility categories, the state said. This is in addition to healthcare workers and long-term care facility staff and residents who qualified for Phase 1A of the state’s deployment, as well as essential frontline workers and elderly residents. 65 and over who were eligible at the start of phase 1B.
Still, many counties in the Chicago area, including the city itself, have chosen not to expand eligibility, citing a lack of supply.
Here’s everything you need to know about Phase 1B Plus, including who is and who isn’t under the Extended Phase.
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