The White House has advised Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to start preparing for COVID vaccinations for children under the age of 12.
Plus, a former mass vaccination clinic has reopened to offer booster shots for those who are eligible.
Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic across Illinois today:
After Delay, No Changes Made to Chicago Travel Advisory; 6 Locations Near Removal
Following a delay due to the long holiday weekend, Chicago's travel advisory remained unchanged this week, but city officials say as many as six locations could be removed from the list next week.
The advisory, updated weekly, continues to sit at 47 states and three territories after the latest look at the data, but Chicago's health department said six states and territories could come off next week.
Those include Alabama, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and the Virgin Islands.
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Read more here.
Former Mass Vaccination Center Reopens in DuPage County for Booster Shots
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A vaccination clinic previously open during the height of vaccine efforts earlier this year will reopen Wednesday to offer booster shots in DuPage County, health officials said.
The DuPage County Health Department said its Community Vaccination Clinic would reopen at the DuPage County Complex in Wheaton to administer COVID-19 booster shots to those who are eligible.
The booster shots will be available by appointment only and recipients will need to register in advance, officials said.
Details here.
Illinois Told to Prepare to Vaccinate Young Children by November, White House Says
The White House told Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to start preparing the state to vaccinate children age 5 and older by early November should the FDA clear Pfizer's COVID vaccine for that age group in coming weeks, an official said.
The Biden administration has purchased 65 million pediatric doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which NBC News reported would be enough to vaccinate the estimated 28 million children who would be eligible under anticipated FDA approval, according to a Health and Human Services official.
Pfizer and BioNTech said earlier this month that they had submitted an emergency request for authorization for those ages 5 to 1, and an FDA advisory committee plans to meet to discuss the request on Oct. 26. The vaccine doses for the youngest age group won’t be interchangeable with those used in adults because it has a different dosage and dilution requirement.
Read more here.
Chicago Police Union, Lightfoot Still at Odds Over Vaccine Mandate as Deadline Nears
City employees in Chicago have three more days to declare their COVID vaccination status, and the president of the Fraternal Order of Police says the lodge will support officers who do not adhere to the mandate.
In an online message posted Tuesday, FOP President John Catanzara says that the union plans to file a legal challenge to the city’s mask mandate, which requires employees to either be vaccinated against COVID, or to submit to twice-weekly COVID testing at their own expense.
Employees will be required to submit their vaccination status to the city’s online portal within the next three days.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says that even in the face of a potential legal challenge, Friday’s deadline to get the vaccine still holds for all city workers.
Read more here.
Halloweek: Here Are Ways to Safely Celebrate Halloween in Chicago Amid COVID Pandemic
With Halloween just around the corner, the city of Chicago has released a schedule filled with ways to safely celebrate the holiday amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Chicago's Halloweek will take place from Oct. 23 to Oct. 30, according to a release from city officials, and involves nine major COVID-19 precautionary guidelines.
Here's guidance from the city for Halloweek.
Who Can Get a COVID Booster Shot Right Now? A Breakdown of Who is Eligible
While many additional people could soon become eligible for COVID vaccine booster shots, pending authorization from federal regulators, who is currently eligible to receive the added dose?
Last month, the FDA authorized booster shots of Pfizer’s vaccine for older Americans and other groups with heightened vulnerability to COVID-19.
That authorization did not apply to those who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines, but the Food and Drug Administration's panel of experts is expected to evaluate boosters for both Moderna and J&J this week to determine if they will recommend them for emergency use.
In addition to the Pfizer authorization, officials have also cleared booster doses of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for people with weakened immune systems.
Chicago Travel Advisory Update Delayed Due to Holiday Weekend
Chicago's travel advisory was slated to be updated Tuesday afternoon, but city health officials said a delay in data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention due to the long holiday weekend has delayed the city's update.
"Our weekly COVID Travel Advisory is delayed this week because updated CDC COVID data wasn't available late Monday because of the federal holiday," the department posted on social media. "Once the most recent data is available, the travel advisory will be updated later today (Oct. 12) or Wednesday (Oct. 13)."
The advisory, updated weekly, dropped last week to 47 states and three territories, as Connecticut was removed from the city's warning list, officials announced.
Read more here.
How Long After Exposure Do COVID Symptoms Appear? Here's What Doctors Say
COVID-positive individuals have reported experiencing a fever, cough, shortness of breath and many other symptoms associated with the virus.
But how long does it take for symptoms to appear once a person has been exposed? And when is COVID the most transmissible?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the incubation period, the time from exposure to when one develops symptoms, ranges from two to 14 days after the initial exposure. Scientists caution, however, "the period of infectiousness" for COVID-19 is not yet known with certainty.
Read more here.
Moderna, J&J Booster Shots: What to Know as FDA Panel Prepares to Meet
With additional booster shots nearing an important milestone this week, what will that mean for those who could soon become eligible?
The Food and Drug Administration's panel of experts is expected to evaluate boosters for both Moderna and Johnson & Johnson later this week to determine if they will recommend them for emergency use.
Last month, the FDA authorized booster shots of Pfizer’s vaccine for older Americans and other groups with heightened vulnerability to COVID-19.
Both Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have submitted requests for emergency use authorization of their booster shots of the COVID vaccines.
Read more here.
