IDPH gives COVID-19 vaccination distribution plan update

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - The Illinois Department of Public Health gave an update Tuesday on the rollout plan for the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Hospitals across Illinois have already received a number of vaccines for health care workers.

Before the end of the year a projected total of 507,728 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will have been distributed to frontline health care workers. This includes 187,128 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 320,600 of the Moderna vaccine.

A projected total of 74,100 doses will have been sent to long term care residents and staff by the end of the year. All of those vaccines are Pfizer.

IDPH stressed the numbers are not final and the number of doses we receive could change this week and next week.

In the first week of distribution, the focus was on hospital workers.

109,000 Pfizer vaccines were allocated to Illinois in the first batch sent in mid-December.

Chicago received 23,000 vaccines.

44,850 doses were stored in IDPH Strategic National Stockpile.

Vaccines were allocated to the 50 counties with the highest death numbers per capita. They were redistributed through the Regional Hospital Coordinating Centers.

Local Health Departments picked up their counties' allocation from RHCCs.

Health departments then delivered the allocations to hospitals in their regions. Then, hospitals were able to vaccinate staff.

40,950 doses were sent through direct shipment.

OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Region 2, Peoria was allocated 4,955 doses.

HSHS St. John's Hospital in Springfield, Region 3, was allocated 1,395 doses.

Carle Foundation Hospital, Champaign in Region 6, was allocated 2,500 doses.

Week 2 allocation includes all counties. Starting Week 2, hospitals and health departments can distribute the vaccines. Open pod locations can be used to distribute the vaccines to the general public.

IDPH said it expects this to be a slow rollout at first with the number of vaccinations available.

No centralized push is expected in Week 2.

The Definition of Priority Groups per the CDC - Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices includes:

Group 1A
- Healthcare personnel: All paid and unpaid persons service in healthcare settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials. Based on risk, while staggering staff.
- Long germ care facility: Residents and staff.
Group 1B
- Adults: 75 years of age and older.
- Frontline essentail workers: First responders, education sector, food and agriculture, etc.
Group 1C
- Adults: Between 65 and 74 years of age.
- High-risk conditions: Persons between 16 and 64 years of age with high-risk condition.
- Essential workers: Not recommended in Phase 1B.

How long will it take us to move through the phases? That is dependent on a lot of factors.

One factor is how quickly doses are made available to the state and shipped. If there is a higher up-take in one category it will take longer to move through that phase than if there is a lower up-take.

Officials do believe it could take between a month to a month and a half to get through Group 1A.

IDPH is still working on defining high-risk conditions that will put people in category 1C. Some will include heart conditions and some underlying diseases.

The goal is to help move all regions of the state through the different stages at about the same rate.

Local health departments will submit vaccination plans to IDPH. IDPH will then review the plan and once it is approved, providers can order vaccines via I-CARE or IDPH order on provider's behalf based on availability.

As long as there is a limited vaccine supply, IDPH will review orders based on an algorithm (Equity, social vulnerability, COVID impact).

The CDC will then receive the order and determine the type of vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine requires ultra cold storage. It is shipped from manufacturers direct to IDPH or providers. It will only be sent to hospitals and locations with ultra cold storage capability.

The Moderna vaccine is a frozen or refrigerated vaccine. It is easier to store and ship, because it does not have to be kept as ultra cold. Moderna vaccines would be shipped from manufacturers to McKesson then to providers.

Providers will report vaccination data via EMR or through direct entry to I-CARE or EMTrack.

IDPH will monitor the data and inventory.

People receiving the vaccine will receive a CDC Vaccination Record Card. It will be a physical card that shows where and when they were vaccinated.

There is not a vaccine that is approved for children currently.

The Pfizer vaccines is approved for those 16 and older. The Moderna vaccine is approved for those 18 and older.

Over 63,764 doses have been administered as of Dec. 19 to hospital workers across the state.

This includes, among others, 1,035 doses at OSF Healthcare: St. Anthony Medical Center, 400 doses at St. John's Hospital, 24 doses at St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital, and 2,356 at OSF St. Francis Medical Center.

Bloomberg reported Illinois is leading the country on the number of doses administered at this time.

Each vial of the vaccine contains five doses.

Officials believe 60 to 80 percent of the population would have to be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

IDPH created an ambassador program to help inform the public about the vaccines and sharing information. They will be called IL COVID-19 Prevention Ambassadors. Any person can volunteer to be an ambassador.

There are currently 400 ambassadors across the country, and recruitment is ongoing.

When it comes to outreach for immigrant populations, the Department of Human Services expanded its partnership with the Welcoming Centers by providing $20 million to reach the immigrant and undocumented communities.

For senior citizen outreach, the Department of Public Health is partnering with the Department on Aging to collaborate with the Areas Association on Aging to reach the senior citizen population that does not reside in congregate care facilities.

When it comes to insurance coverage, per the federal government, the vaccination is being provided to the states free of charge. That means all residents will receive the vaccine for free.

Providers will have the ability to charge an administration fee.

Vaccine providers can get this fee reimbursed by the patient's public or private insurance company or, for uninsured patients, by the Health Resources and Services Administration at the US Department of Health and Human Shrives.