Who's Eligible, How to Sign Up: Everything We Know About Phase 1C COVID Vaccines in Chicago

Chicago will enter Phase 1C of COVID vaccinations at the end of March, expanding eligibility to essential workers like servers, bartenders, hair stylists and more, along with residents who have underlying health conditions.

But who exactly is eligible and how can you sign up?

Here's everything we know so far.

When Does Phase 1C Begin?

Phase 1C, set to begin on March 29, officials announced Wednesday.

Who is Eligible?

Here's a breakdown of who is and isn't eligible under Phase 1C in Chicago:

Underlying medical conditions

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

Clergy and religious organizations

People 65 years of age and older; where possible, prioritizing Chicagoans 75 years and older and Chicagoans age 65-74 with underlying medical conditions

Energy

Workers supporting the energy sector, including those involved in energy manufacturing, distribution, repair

Finance

Banks; currency exchanges; consumer lending; credit unions; appraisers; title companies; financial markets; financial institutions; institutions that sell financial services; accounting services, and insurance services 

Food and beverage service

Restaurant and other facilities that prepare and serve food (including bars); entities that provide food services

Higher education

Workers in educational institutions – including junior colleges, four-year colleges, and universities, technical schools, trade schools, educational support services, and administration of education programs

Information technology and communications

Internet, video and telecommunications systems, consumer electronics repair, computer and office machine repair 

Legal

Workers providing legal services or supporting the operations of the judicial system, including judges, lawyers, paralegals, legal assistants, process servers, couriers, bail bond agents, parole officers, probation offices, court personnel, and others providing legal assistance or performing legal functions

Media

Newspapers, periodicals, television, radio, and other media services, news dealers and newsstands, broadcasting, news syndicates, printing, and book publishers
Other community- or government-based operations and essential functions
Other governmental employees; community based essential functions (e.g. urban planning, offices that provide basic needs such as food, childcare, shelter, and social services); workers in libraries

Personal care services and hygiene

Businesses that provide personal care services, such as hair, nails, and non-medical massage.

Laundromats, dry cleaners, industrial laundry services, and laundry service providers

Public health

Public health entities; pharmaceutical, medical device and equipment, and biotechnology companies

Public safety

Workers that ensure public safety systems function properly, including building inspectors, civil engineers, chemical engineers, aerospace engineers and hazardous materials responders. Workers who construct and maintain roads, highways, railroads, and ports. Cybersecurity operations workers

Retail

Workers in retail stores including but not limited to stores that sell alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, medication not requiring a medical prescription, other non-grocery products (e.g. electronics, optical goods, books, etc.), other household consumer products, wholesalers, licensed cannabis dispensaries and cultivation centers

Shelter and housing

Hardware stores and businesses; construction and maintenance of buildings, real estate; hotel and motel workers

Transportation and logistics

Workers at gas stations; auto and bike supply and repair; businesses that supply shipping and delivery services; couriers; warehouses; private mail; Airline workers not included in 1b; workers in rail, water, truck, charter bus transportation or transportation rental

Water and wastewater

Workers involved in wastewater treatment and operations; sanitary and storm maintenance crews performing emergency and essential maintenance of systems

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.

How Can You Make An Appointment?

Officials are offering vaccines through Zocdoc. Residents can check zocdoc.com/vaccine to confirm eligibility, see nearby vaccination locations, show their real-time appointment availability, and receive notifications when new appointments are available.  

The city also says appointments can made through certain employers, local health care providers and area pharmacies.

For a full list of ways to make an appointment in Chicago, click here.

Still, officials cautioned that not all who are eligible will be able to get an appointment right away.

"My concern, you know, as we open, is that right away, people will think magically there is a huge supply that starts March 29 - and there isn't," Arwady said. "But we will have received by that point enough vaccine to have gotten through, you know, the very large majority - around three quarters of the people who would have been eligible in 1B. We know we've been vaccinating non-Chicago residents as well, and both sides are looking good in terms of the ability to really ramp up. So I know a lot of people are anxious to be vaccinated and I also know that April is probably going to feel frustrating for some of them, especially early April, but by late April, you know, and into May I do think that we will be at a point that is going to start feeling more like a typical flu vaccine."

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.