COVID Vaccine in Illinois; List of First Counties to Receive Doses

COVID-19 vaccines have arrived in Illinois; 43,000 doses have been sent directly to the state.

In total, about 100,000 vaccine shots are coming to the Land of Lincoln; the remaining shipments will be sent to the City of Chicago and four other health departments.

Governor J.B. Pritzker said the first people in Illinois are receiving shots today. Pritzker said it would take a few days to get the vaccine out of state stockpiles to every regional hospital that will be administering it.

The first vaccines will be dedicated to hospital and healthcare workers in the 50 counties in the state with the highest death rates per capita. The vaccines will be shipped to 10 regional hospital coordinating centers who will then coordinate distribution to the 50 counties.

Several of the 50 counties are in our area. Those counties, and their rank as to highest death rates per capita, are: Clay, 8th; Fayette, 12th; Marion, 13th; Coles, 23rd; Shelby, 28th; Jasper, 31st; Cumberland, 49th.