CHICAGO, Ill. – Illinois Governor JB Pritzker sas the state will be ready, if the Food and Drug Administration approves a version of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for five- to eleven-year-olds.
Pritzker says the state is expected to get 306,000 doses initially outside of Chicago, 100,000 more for federal pharmacy partners, and they’ll be everywhere parents can take their kids to get them.
“Pediatricians’ offices, pharmacies — which often are very convenient for people — as well as schools. That’s where we anticipate most of the vaccinations will be given,” Pritzker said. “But…[Federally-Qualified Health Centers], clinics, hospitals, and others will have them.”
Does Pritzker think the state will have most of all potentially eligible children vaccinated against COVID-19 by Thanksgiving or Christmas? No.
Would he like to see it happen? Probably.
“Parents who want to make sure their kids are vaccinated before Christmas…there is time to do that. You can get both doses in — the three weeks in-between the two doses, plus the two weeks after that, to make those vaccinations fully-functional,” said Pritzker.
The Illinois Department of Public Health says it’s working with schools and park districts for vaccination events. Pharmacies could start administering the vaccines by this weekend, with special clinics happening soon thereafter, the state said.
