Vaccine Distribution Phases

COVID-19 Vaccine Phases and Rollout

PHASE

GOAL: Prevent COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths

Phase opens to whole group, with efforts to prioritize by COVID-19 risk in order below
Most vaccinated in residential and healthcare settings (e.g. clinics, hospitals, pharmacies)

GOAL: Preserve services essential to functioning of society and prevent COVID-19 outbreaks

Phase opens to whole group, with efforts to prioritize by COVID-19 risk in order below
Most vaccinated in employer-based settings

1A Began on December 15, 2020 (Most vaccinated in January)

Long-term care and other residential healthcare facilities

Skilled Nursing Facilities
Assisted Living Facilities
Behavioral health residential facilities
Developmentally disabled residential facilities

Healthcare workers

Hospital-based
Non-hospital based (e.g. doctors' offices, dentists' offices, outpatient clinics, laboratories, pharmacies, home health)
Community-based (e.g. Protect Chicago outreach)

1B Began on January 25, 2021 (Most vaccinated in February and March)

Chicagoans age 65 and older

Chicagoans age 75 and older
Chicagoans age 65-74 with underlying medical conditions
All Chicagoans age 65 and older

Non-healthcare residential settings

Homeless shelters
Correctional settings
Other residential settings with local outbreaks

Frontline essential workers

Correctional workers and first responders
Grocery store workers and manufacturing/factory settings with outbreaks
Daycare, K-12 and early education workers
Public transit, other manufacturing, and agriculture workers
Continuity of government and postal workers
Caregivers of medically fragile children or adults

1C Began on March 29, 2021 (Most vaccinated in April and May)

Chicagoans age 16-64 with underlying medical conditions

The following conditions are known to increase or may increase the risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19. Individuals with the following conditions are eligible for vaccination in locations open to Chicago residents.

Cancer (current diagnosis)
Cardiac, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular disorders (including heart disease, coronary artery disease, and hypertension or high blood pressure)
Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic respiratory disorders (including cystic fibrosis, moderate to severe asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/emphysema [COPD])
Diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2)
Disability: physical, developmental, visual, hearing, or mental
Neurologic conditions (including dementia)
Down Syndrome
Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) including from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines
Liver disease (including hepatitis)
Pregnancy
Obesity: BMI ≥30 kg/m²
Schizophrenia spectrum disorders
Sickle Cell Disease
Thalassemia

All other essential workers

Clergy and religious organizations
Energy
Finance
Food and beverage service
Higher Education
Information Technology and communications
Legal
Media
Other Community- or Government-based Operations and Essential Functions
Personal Care Services and hygiene
Public health
Public safety
Retail
Shelter and Housing
Transportation and Logistics
Water and wastewater

A more detailed list of essential workers included in phase 1c is below.

2 Began on April 19, 2021 (Most vaccinated in May and June)

**All Chicagoans age 16* and older**

Pfizer authorization for children 12+

The Pfizer vaccine was authorized and recommended for use for individuals age 12 to 17 by the Food and Drug administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Chicagoans age 12-17 were able to receive vaccination only at sites offering Pfizer vaccine.

Definitions for Phase 1B groups

CATEGORIES	CITY OF CHICAGO DEFINITION	CHICAGO ESTIMATE*
People 65 years of age and older	People 65 years of age and older; where possible, prioritizing Chicagoans 75 years and older and Chicagoans age 65-74 with underlying medical conditions	363,000
Non-healthcare residential settings	Homeless shelters, women’s shelters, adult day care programs, correctional settings (jail officers, juvenile facility staff, workers providing in-person support, detainees), and other non-healthcare residential settings that have experienced outbreaks (e.g. convents)	21,000
First Responders	Fire, law enforcement, 911 workers, security personnel, school officers	42,000
Grocery Store Workers	Baggers, cashiers, stockers, pick-up, customer service, those working in feeding or at food pantries	17,000
Education	Teachers, principals, student support, and student aides at pre-K-12 schools, day care staff	142,500
Public Transit Workers	Bus drivers, train conductors, flight crews, taxi drivers and ride sharing services (workers that have worked an average of at least 20 hours per week for the last three months), and all persons working for local transit agencies unable to work from home	60,000
Manufacturing	Industrial production of goods for distribution to retail, wholesale or other manufacturers	53,000
Food and Agriculture	Processing plants, veterinary health, livestock services, animal care, greenhouses and indoor locations where food is grown en masse	10,000
Government	U.S. Postal Service Workers; City government leaders and City elected officials critical to maintain continuity of governmental operations and services	5,300
Caregivers	Parents, including foster parents, and other primary caregivers of medically fragile children or adults who live at home but require a level of ongoing medical care typically provided by a rehabilitation hospital or skilled nursing facility	~35,000

*Sources: 2019 American Community Survey, Civilian employed population 16 years and older. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Annual Averages 2019. Personal communication with industry and residential settings. Statistica, Home Care in the U.S.

Definitions for Phase 1C groups

CATEGORIES	CITY OF CHICAGO DEFINITION
Underlying medical conditions	Cancer (current diagnosis), Cardiac, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular disorders (including heart disease, coronary artery disease, and hypertension or high blood pressure), Chronic Kidney Disease, Chronic respiratory disorders (including cystic fibrosis, moderate to severe asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/emphysema [COPD]), Diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2), Disability: physical, developmental, visual, hearing, or mental, Neurologic conditions (including dementia), Down Syndrome, Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) including from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines, Liver disease (including hepatitis), Pregnancy, Obesity: BMI ≥30 kg/m^2,Schizophrenia spectrum disorders, Sickle Cell Disease, Thalassemia
Clergy and religious organizations	Clergy, church workers, and religious organizations
Energy	Workers supporting the energy sector, including those involved in energy manufacturing, distribution, repair
Finance	Banks; currency exchanges; consumer lending; credit unions; appraisers; title companies; financial markets; financial institutions; institutions that sell financial services; accounting services, and insurance services
Food and beverage service	Restaurant and other facilities that prepare and serve food (including bars); entities that provide food services
Higher education	Workers in educational institutions – including junior colleges, four-year colleges, and universities, technical schools, trade schools, educational support services, and administration of education programs
Information technology and communications	Internet, video and telecommunications systems, consumer electronics repair, computer and office machine repair
Legal	Workers providing legal services or supporting the operations of the judicial system, including judges, lawyers, paralegals, legal assistants, process servers, couriers, bail bond agents, parole officers, probation offices, court personnel, and others providing legal assistance or performing legal functions
Media	Newspapers, periodicals, television, radio, and other media services, news dealers and newsstands, broadcasting, news syndicates, printing, and book publishers
Other community- or government-based operations and essential functions	Other governmental employees; community based essential functions (e.g. urban planning, offices that provide basic needs such as food, childcare, shelter, and social services); workers in libraries
Personal care services and hygiene	Businesses that provide personal care services, such as hair, nails, and non-medical massage. Laundromats, dry cleaners, industrial laundry services, and laundry service providers
Public health	Public health entities; pharmaceutical, medical device and equipment, and biotechnology companies
Public safety	Workers that ensure public safety systems function properly, including building inspectors, civil engineers, chemical engineers, aerospace engineers and hazardous materials responders. Workers who construct and maintain roads, highways, railroads, and ports. Cybersecurity operations workers
Retail	Workers in retail stores including but not limited to stores that sell alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, medication not requiring a medical prescription, other non-grocery products (e.g. electronics, optical goods, books, etc.), other household consumer products, wholesalers, licensed cannabis dispensaries and cultivation centers
Shelter and housing	Hardware stores and businesses; construction and maintenance of buildings, real estate; hotel and motel workers
Transportation and logistics	Workers at gas stations; auto and bike supply and repair; businesses that supply shipping and delivery services; couriers; warehouses; private mail; Airline workers not included in 1b; workers in rail, water, truck, charter bus transportation or transportation rental
Water and wastewater	Workers involved in wastewater treatment and operations; sanitary and storm maintenance crews performing emergency and essential maintenance of systems

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