CHICAGO HEIGHTS, Ill. — Gov. JB Pritzker visited a south suburban community health facility Friday as the state ramps up its COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
Pritzker joined local officials at Aunt Martha’s Chicago Heights Community Health Facility to highlight a new federal program to provide more vaccines to underserved communities.
“I didn’t want to wait any longer but of course everybody is having to wait because they’re just aren’t the vaccine doses available nationwide,” Pritzker said.
Starting next week, health centers like Aunt Martha’s will begin directly receiving vaccine supply. Illinois plans to expand group 1b to people younger than 65 with underlying health conditions beginning February 25. However, Cook County and Chicago will not be included in that.
On Thursday, he said a record 95,400 people received doses. Just under 3 percent of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated.
The goal is to provide more equity in the vaccine distribution process.
