Kane County residents can fill out a form to receive updates on when they might be eligible to get the coronavirus vaccine and how they can register.
The county's health department is expecting to release new information on vaccine registration for residents in the coming weeks, and launched a form on its website to keep people informed.
"In the coming months, we believe it is going to be crucial to share timely and important information with the general public as it becomes available," the form's message reads.
The health department said it is working with state health officials to "prepare for transitioning through phases," but no exact dates have been given for when the region will move out of Phase 1A and into Phase 1B. The department said "it is dependent on many variables including availability of the vaccine."
They expect to have more information on when residents can register for the vaccine by "late January or early February."
"We are currently in Phase 1a (healthcare) and are not scheduling COVID-19 vaccinations for individuals outside of this priority group," the department said in a statement. "We will make information widely available to the public on how and when to register to receive the COVID-19 vaccination by late January or early February (dependent on availability of vaccines)."
Several other Illinois counties have launched similar vaccine forms for residents to keep updated with the latest on the rollout. (See Cook County's here and Lake County's here)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he plans to announce sometime this week when the state will enter Phase 1B, though some areas may already be allowed to do so. Moving to the next phase, however, won't mean that those eligible during the first phase cannot still receive the vaccine.
"I expect to make a formal announcement later this week on when Illinois
will move into Phase 1B on a statewide basis," Pritzker said during his coronavirus update Monday. "Of course, anyone in Phase 1A who has chosen not to get vaccinated yet will always be able to opt in during any subsequent round – this is about leaving no vaccine sitting on the shelves as we move forward."
Phase 1B will center on residents age 65 years and older and "frontline essential workers," including first responders, education workers like teachers and support staff, childcare workers, grocery store employees, postal service workers, and more.
Chicago health officials said they expect Phase 1B will begin in the city in February or March.
"A lot depends on how quickly vaccine comes to us," Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said. "We get about 32,000 doses of first doses of vaccine a week right now. You think about how many people there are over 65 - 370,000 - how many essential workers - hundreds of thousands, 150,000, just in education - there is going to have to be some patience here. But I would expect that we will likely be beginning, you know, in the sort of February to March timeframe, and then we'll continue to vaccinate through, you know, over these next few months."
