Excerpts from the Patch
As the nation awaits distribution of the vaccine, Illinois healthcare leaders are ready to help administer doses.
By Center Square Illinois, News Partner
By Greg Bishop
As the nation awaits distribution of the vaccine, Illinois healthcare leaders are ready to help administer doses.
Memorial Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Dr. Raj Govindaiah said they’re prepping for their five hospitals that serve more than 40 counties.
“We’ll receive the vaccine and we are standing up plans to vaccinate health care workers first and foremost, that’s what we’ve been asked to do,” Govindaiah told WMAY.
The first round will be targeted to medical workers and nursing homes.
Nationwide, CVS and Walgreens are hiring thousands of workers to be able to administer the vaccine in future rollouts.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said the state is working every avenue they can.
Tinley Park, IL|News|
Mass Vaccination Is Our ‘Ticket Out’: Top Advocate Doctor
Top doctors with Advocate Aurora Health say vaccines up for approval are safe and effective. They plan to start inoculating staff next week.
“We want to be clear that we are going to get all of the resources we need, all the help that we need, so that we can expedite this process, and safely, of getting people who are appropriately trained to put this vaccine in people’s arms so that we can get to the end of this pandemic journey,” she said.
The National Governors Association said to date, states have received $200 million from federal funds to assist with COVID-19 vaccination. An additional $140 million is forthcoming.
“In addition to funding, states are awaiting critical federal guidance and support for addressing challenges related to data reporting, provider enrollment and training, vaccine storage and management and communications,” the group said.
Illinois officials don’t want to have ample stores of vaccines with limited numbers of people to administer doses, Ezike said.
“Absolutely all conversations are on the table,” she said. “I think dentists maybe do have the ability to take part in this process.”
Illinois State Dental Society Government Relations Director Dave Marsh said the society is preparing staff to be able to help off-site, like at a public health clinic.
“And then as the vaccines change, obviously they might be able to do them in their office,” Marsh said. “The storage issue is the biggest hurdle for any provider to do the vaccines.”
The initial vaccine expected to be distributed requires super-cold storage.
Marsh said vaccines are expected to be at no cost to the patient and down the road dentists would either join a medical network or sign up and bill Medicare or Medicaid to cover costs. He said they will work to push legislation addressing the issue in the upcoming legislative session expected the second week of January.
Public health experts expect the vaccine to be widely available by this summer. That would bring Illinois to Phase 5 of the governor’s reopening plan, with no restrictions.
The focus of the work of The Center Square Illinois is state- and local-level government and economic reporting that approaches stories with a taxpayer sensibility. For more stories from The Center Square, visit TheCenterSquare.com.