Governor JB Pritzker is lowering the age limit for the next round of COVID-19 vaccinations to 65.
The state is currently in Phase 1-A, where health care workers and residents and staff of long-term care facilities are getting the shot. For Round 1-B, Pritzker says front line workers and seniors 65 and older will be vaccinated instead of the recommended 75 and older.
“For the last ten months, we have seen the fundamental vulnerability to COVID-19 of the entire population of our seniors, not just those just 75 and over. Importantly the average age of death is much lower for Black and Latino Illinoisans.”
Phase 1-B will vaccinate more than three million people in Illinois.
The category defined by the federal government as frontline essential workers include first responders; education workers, including teachers, support staff and childcare workers; manufacturing, distribution and agriculture workers, including grocery store workers; United States Postal Service workers; public transit employees; corrections workers and incarcerated people, and others.
Over 207,000 doses have already been administered.
Although Pritzker wishes doses were arriving more quickly, he expects Phase 1-B should begin in a few weeks.
