Chicago's coronavirus vaccine eligibility expands to a new qualifying list of health conditions in Phase 1C later this month, which differs from that of Illinois' Phase 1B Plus.
Phase 1C, set to begin on March 29 in Chicago, will include those with underlying health conditions and essential workers like restaurant employees, those in personal care services and retail workers, among others, city officials announced Wednesday.
Most recently, however, Illinois entered Phase 1B Plus, opening up doses to residents with certain high-risk medical conditions and comorbidities. Chicago and several surrounding suburbs, however, opted not to increase eligibility along with the state, citing a lack of doses.
Though both phases increase vaccine eligibility to those with various comorbidities, Chicago's newly announced list of qualifying medical conditions for Phase 1C is not the same as the state's Phase 1B Plus list.
Here's a list of underlying health conditions eligible for the vaccine in Phase 1C:
Cancer (current diagnosis), Cardiac, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular disorders (including heart disease, coronary artery disease, and hypertension or high blood pressure), Chronic Kidney Disease, Chronic respiratory disorders (including cystic fibrosis, moderate to severe asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/emphysema [COPD]), Diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2), Disability: physical, developmental, visual, hearing, or mental, Neurologic conditions (including dementia), Down Syndrome, Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) including from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines, Liver disease (including hepatitis), Pregnancy, Obesity: BMI ≥30 kg/m2, Schizophrenia spectrum disorders, Sickle Cell Disease, Thalassemia, persons with disabilities
Click here for a full list of who is eligible in Chicago's Phase 1C
The list of qualifying high-risk medical conditions in Phase 1B Plus includes:
- Cancer
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
- Diabetes
- Heart Condition
- Immunocompromised State from a Solid Organ Transplant
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Pulmonary Disease
- Sickle Cell Disease
Currently, much of the Chicago area remains under Phase 1B guidelines, which open up vaccinations to people age 65 years and older as well as "frontline essential workers," including first responders, education workers like teachers and support staff, childcare workers, grocery store employees and postal service workers, among others. That's in addition to the health care workers and long-term care facility staff and residents who were eligible in Phase 1A of the state's rollout.
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Those already eligible under Phases 1A and 1B will also remain eligible in 1C.
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady noted that eligibility at city-run vaccination sites will be limited to only Chicago residents.
For a complete look at where and how you can make an appointment in Illinois or where you can receive vaccine information for your area, click here.
