CITY’S VACCINE SUPPLY FINALLY MEETS DEMAND
The vaccine “Hunger Games” are over.
After four months of frustration for thousands of residents who scrambled to claim fleeting batches of COVID-19 vaccination appointments, Chicago finally has enough doses to provide a shot to anyone who wants one, the city’s top doctor said Thursday.
Thanks to a “softening” of vaccine demand in other parts of Illinois and growth in supply provided by the federal government, “you can get one today, no excuses,” according to Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.
“We’ve been saying for months that these vaccines are safe, they are effective, and now we can say they truly are available for all,” Arwady said during an online Q&A. “Our supply has just not been up to our demand month after month after month, and I know how frustrating that has been for many people. But as of now, we have enough vaccine.”
For the first time ever, the city has been able to provide doses to all vaccine providers who have requested them over the past two weeks, according to Arwady. As a result, city-run vaccination sites will start accepting limited numbers of walk-in appointments starting Friday.
“The fact that we actually have enough vaccine cannot be overstated in terms of how good of news that is for Chicago,” she said. “I want you to tell everybody that so that we can really, really, really use this vaccine, get folks vaccinated and get Chicago past COVID.”
More than a third of Chicago adults are already fully immunized, and more than half have gotten at least one dose. For the remainder from here on out, the process “is going to feel more like getting a flu shot,” Arwady said.
With the latest 131,411 shots that went into arms Wednesday, about 8.5 million doses have been administered overall across Illinois, according to the state Department of Public Health. Nearly 3.6 million residents are fully vaccinated, or about 28% of the population.
The state reported 3,170 more residents were diagnosed with the coronavirus among the latest 88,336 tests, keeping the average statewide positivity rate at 3.8% and marking 10 straight days that figure has either decreased or held steady. But the virus claimed 33 more Illinois lives. The state’s death toll is up to 21,755.