Vaccination Plan in Illinois, US: Here are the answers to all your questions

Development and proper deployment of a vaccine in any infection outbreak is a long and challenging process. However, in the case of coronavirus, scientists and medical experts speeded up the process to discover the safest and the most effective vaccines to protect people from a life-threatening virus.

Fortunately, after a year of suffering, a vaccine was successfully developed. But the quantity was crucial; it was not enough to treat everyone. When the vaccine was approved in the US (where it was also made), it came under the "limited approval" policy. That was because authorities were not 100% sure about the effectiveness of the vaccine. The approved vaccines were on clinical trials for a long time, where authorities checked the number of doses a certain individual would require to reach complete immunity.

When the vaccine was finally approved to be released to people, the case of limited supply landed the authorities to create priority-based recommendations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the guidelines that would allow different groups of people to get vaccinated at different time intervals, allowing everyone to get vaccinated one after another as the vaccine supply continues. Particularly, Chicago-Illinois is in Phase 1b, which lets people over the age of 64 and other essential frontline workers get vaccinated in nearby nationally-guarded state vaccination camps.

Below are the other frequently asked questions which are answered by the health authorities.

What is the update on mass immunization?

Similar to the prior outbreaks in the history of the US, the government's plan is to prepare people for mass immunization. However, the supply of vaccines is still critical to put the plan in motion. Still, the state of Illinois is continuously in collaboration with local health departments and health care providers to enable the coronavirus vaccine at its largest.

Will I be able to get the vaccine if I am undocumented?

The authorities of Illinois are making sure everyone gets the vaccine at their time. All populations, whether documented or not, will be able to get the vaccine when their eligibility phase comes. The government has released the statement that no one will be turned away when the time comes.

Will my employer get me vaccinated like other employers?

Currently, only eligible people are getting the vaccine, along with people with high-risk conditions. Therefore, it is challenging for the authorities to enable all-people vaccination at every workplace. However, the state has ensured that everyone will ultimately be vaccinated as soon as the quantity of the supplied vaccine expands.

Is there any distribution schedule of vaccination phases?

There is no dated schedule for the vaccine distribution. The vaccine is currently being distributed as per the priority guidelines of the CDC. However, as the vaccine supply increases, the distribution will automatically increase.

Can I get a free vaccine?

Yes, you can. There are some clinics that are providing free vaccines to people. Book your appointment for a Free Vaccination now.