coronavirus illinois

Illinois Coronavirus Updates: Parents React to FDA Decision on Pfizer Vaccine

Teams to vaccinate people against COVID-19 will soon be dispatched to workplaces and commercial buildings in Chicago and across Illinois.

Meanwhile, more than 4,700 cases of coronavirus in the state of Illinois are of variant coronavirus strains, health officials say.

Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic across Illinois this weekend:

Parents React to FDA Decision to Authorize Pfizer COVID Vaccine for 12-to-15 Year Olds

After the Food and Drug Administration granted an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination for children 12 years of age and older, parents are hoping that the move will help to keep more children safe and move the nation past the coronavirus pandemic.

According to data reviewed by the FDA from clinical trials involving more than 2,200 children, the two-shot Pfizer treatment was found to be highly-effective in preventing COVID-19 infections.

The move could pave the way for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to formally recommend the Pfizer vaccine for children, a move that many parents will welcome.

“We’re ready to kind of get on with our lives and do the next thing, and so we’re ready to get the kids vaccinated as soon as we could get them signed up,” Emily Lobdell, whose children play several sports, said.

COVID Vaccine for 12-15: What to Know as FDA Authorizes Pfizer Shots for Kids

When Could Kids 12 to 15 Get the COVID Vaccine?

U.S. regulators on Monday expanded use of Pfizer's shot to those as young as 12. The two-dose vaccine was already authorized for use in people 16 and older, but the expansion will allow for children to get vaccinated ahead of the fall school year.

The FDA's decision will now be followed by a meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's federal vaccine advisory committee, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (known as ACIP), to discuss whether to recommend the shot for 12- to 15-year-olds.

The ACIP has already set an emergency meeting for Wednesday. According to a previously posted agenda on the CDC's website, the committee will meet virtually beginning at 10 a.m. CT, with a vote scheduled to take place after discussion beginning at 1:45 p.m.

Pfizer isn’t the only company seeking to lower the age limit for its vaccine. Results also are expected by the middle of this year from a U.S. study of Moderna’s vaccine in 12-to -17-year-olds. Pfizer is currently authorized for use on people ages 16 and up, while Moderna is authorized for people 18 and older.

What about younger kids? According to experts, those under 12 likely won't be able to receive the COVID vaccine until later this year or early next year.

Both Pfizer and Moderna have started studies in the U.S. surrounding the vaccine and children ages 6 months to 11 years. Results on those studies could come sometime in the fall.

Is the Vaccine Safe for Children?

The Food and Drug Administration declared the Pfizer vaccine is safe and offers strong protection for younger teens based on testing of more than 2,000 U.S. volunteers ages 12 to 15. The study found no cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated adolescents compared to 18 among kids given dummy shots.

Chicago-area health experts agreed.

"It is safe," Dr. Markeita Moore, a pediatrician with Advocate Children’s Hospital, said during a Facebook Live Wednesday. "Yes, we highly recommend it - us and the [American Academy of Pediatrics]."

Coronavirus in Illinois: 1,424 New COVID Cases, 12 Deaths, 70K Vaccinations

Illinois health officials reported 1,424 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases and 12 additional deaths in the last day, along with more than 70,000 vaccinations administered.

The newly reported coronavirus cases bring the state total to 1,356,391 cases since the pandemic began and lift the total death toll to 22,235, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

In the last 24 hours, 41,133 coronavirus test specimens were returned to state laboratories, with more than 23 million now conducted during the pandemic.

Read more here.

Illinois to ‘Ramp Down' COVID Vaccine Orders as Supply Begins to Outpace Demand

The state of Illinois is "going to ramp down" the number of COVID vaccine doses it orders from the federal government each week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday, with demand for vaccinations falling as more people have gotten their shots.

"Illinois, like the nation as a whole, has reached a point where, by and large, all the people who were immediately eager to get vaccinated, have already been vaccinated," Pritzker said in a news conference Monday announcing a new program to deploy vaccination teams to workplaces and commercial buildings.

When asked if the state would be decreasing its orders of vaccine from the federal government, Pritzker said Illinois was "in process right now" to do just that, but would have the option to increase vaccine supply later if needed.

Read more here.

COVID Vaccinations Coming to Workplaces in Chicago and Across Illinois

Teams to vaccinate people against COVID-19 will be dispatched to workplaces and commercial buildings in Chicago and across Illinois, officials announced Monday.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the program in a joint news conference with health officials and other community leaders.

The effort will begin in mid-May with 10 sites in Chicago, Schaumburg and Rockford in the first wave of the program. Those sites can be found here.

COVID Vaccine for 12-15: When It Could be Available and How to Get It for Your Children

When might the COVID vaccine be available for kids? A decision from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on whether to authorize emergency use of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 12 to 15 is expected this week.

So what is known so far about the COVID vaccines and children and how should parents prepare? Here's what experts are saying.

Illinois Set to Move into Bridge Phase Friday. Here's What That Means For You

Currently in Phase 4 of its reopening plan, Illinois is preparing to enter the Bridge Phase at the end of this week, marking the start of a transitional period before the final Phase 5.

The Bridge Phase will begin Friday, allowing for higher capacity limits at places like museums, zoos and spectator events as well as increased business operations during a transitional period between the current guidelines and a full reopening.

So what changes between Phase 4 and the Bridge Phase? Here's a breakdown by category.

COVID Vaccinations Coming to Workplaces in Chicago and Across Illinois

Teams to vaccinate people against COVID-19 will be dispatched to workplaces and commercial buildings in Chicago and across Illinois, officials announced Monday.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the program in a joint news conference with health officials and other community leaders.

The effort will begin in mid-May with 10 sites in Chicago, Schaumburg and Rockford in the first wave of the program. Those sites are:

  • Merchandise Mart, 222 West Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago
  • Harris Bank Building, 115 S. LaSalle Street, Chicago
  • 540 W. Madison Street, Chicago
  • Equitable Building, 401 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago
  • 150 N. Riverside Plaza, Chicago
  • 311 South Wacker (Walgreens at 250 S Wacker Dr), Chicago
  • Wrigley Building, 400-410 North Michigan Avenue (Walgreens at 410 N Michigan Ave), Chicago
  • 308 W. State Street, Rockford
  • 1111 S. Alpine Road, Rockford
  • 1061 American Lane, Schaumburg

Read more here.

Illinois Says More Than 4,700 COVID Cases in State Involve Variant Strains of Virus

More than 4,700 cases of coronavirus in the state of Illinois involve variant strains of the virus, including more than 3,000 cases of a variant that originated in the United Kingdom, health officials announced Sunday.

According to the latest figures from the Illinois Department of Public Health, a total of 4,751 cases of coronavirus involve variant strains.

Of those, 3,170 have been identified as the B.1.1.7 variant, which originated in the United Kingdom and has become one of the most prevalent strains of the virus in the United States.

That variant, according to IDPH officials, spreads more easily and rapidly than previous strains of the virus, and has been shown in some studies to be more deadly.

Family, Friends Remember Bolingbrook Teen Who Died Days After Testing Positive For COVID

Family and friends are remembering a Bolingbrook teen who died just two days after testing positive for coronavirus, holding a vigil and a balloon release Saturday evening in her honor.

Dykota Morgan, 15, was a freshman at Bolingbrook High School. Her family told NBC 5 she played several sports, was pretty healthy, and didn’t have any pre-existing conditions. They hope that by sharing her story people will take the virus seriously and get vaccinated.

Relying on each other for love and support, this week has been unimaginable for family and of Dykota.

“I’m so thankful that everyone was able to come out and just show their appreciate for the life that my daughter lived,” said Morgan’s father Rashad Bingham.

Bingham knows this Mother’s Day will be difficult for his wife Krystal Morgan, with their daughter’s death serving a tragic reminder of just how short life can be.

 “She’s going to be missed by a lot of people,” said Morgan’s mother.

CTA Bus Transformed Into Mobile COVID Vaccination Clinic in Austin

As health officials in Chicago continue to work on expanding availability and accessibility to the coronavirus vaccine, a unique initiative was launched on Saturday, as a Chicago Transit Authority bus was transformed into a mobile vaccination site in the city’s Austin neighborhood.

The initiative will aim to bring coronavirus vaccine doses to all areas of the city, and Saturday’s event saw a large turnout, including resident Maurice Cardine, who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

“It’s just one shot, and I don’t like needles,” he said with a laugh.

Cardine admits he was on the fence about getting the shot, but says with the mobile vaccine bus coming to his neighborhood, he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity.

“I had an appointment to go to Chicago and Cicero on Monday, but I just came on down here because my mom has been wearing me down, telling me and my brothers to get it done, so I went and got it done,” he said.

The vaccine bus is part of the city’s latest efforts to get more residents vaccinated, especially in neighborhoods that have been hardest hit by the virus.

What Happens if You Miss Your Second COVID Vaccine Dose?

More and more Americans have been vaccinated in recent weeks, but the number of those who've skipped their second dose has risen as well.

More than 5 million people, around 8% of those who received one shot of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, didn't get their second dose, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But what if, for whatever reason, you missed your second shot?

According to the CDC, the second dose should be administered as close to the recommended interval as possible, which is 21 days for the Pfizer vaccine and 28 days for Moderna's. However, the shot can be given up to 42 days after the first dose "when a delay is unavoidable," the agency added.

Read more here.

Fully Vaccinated? Here's Where to Score a Deal in the Chicago Area

Are you fully vaccinated against COVID-19? Don't miss the latest deals offered across the Chicago area, as various businesses have already begun serving up bargains for vaccinated individuals.

Here's where to find COVID vaccination deals nearby.

Hosting a Wedding, Graduation Party or Private Event in the Chicago Area? Here's What You Need to Know

Graduation and wedding seasons are fast approaching and this year's events will be unlike any other.

While most events were canceled or dramatically scaled down last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, more widely available vaccines and early signs of improvements in COVID metrics have enabled some jurisdictions to loosen restrictions on in-person gatherings.

To learn more on capacity limits and other new guidelines, click here.

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