Carbondale Reporter

As the state of Illinois continues its efforts to get COVID-19 vaccines out to more residents, federally qualified health centers such as Jacksonville’s Central Counties Health Centers and the Cass County Health Department in Virginia and Beardstown were among approximately 100 locations identified for receiving additional vaccine doses.

Previously, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) had worked with local health departments to provide vaccine doses to 26 federally qualified health centers, and this will represent an expansion on those efforts, according to reporting by WLDS. The health centers are facilities that work to provide assistance to residents who are at or under the federal poverty level in terms of household incomes.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker first alluded to the new supplies of vaccine during a tour of facilities, noting that the additional setaside would correlate to an increase in supply from the federal government, WLDS reported. The additional supplies are part of a partnership between the federally qualified health centers and IDPH.

“Illinois will start providing a specific increased setaside of vaccine allocation for our federally qualified health centers as part of our continuing effort to reach those who may not have a primary care physician or who are most challenged when it comes to healthcare access,” Pritzker was quoted as saying by WLDS. “This is another step in my mission to weave equity into every one of our goals when it comes to the vaccine rollout.”

The federally qualified health centers are to receive doses of COVID-19 vaccine directly from the federal government, according to WLDS. 

The state also moved to Phase 1b for vaccinations at the end of February, just as supplies were expected to increase, according to coverage by Tri-States Public Radio. The expansion enables individuals aged 16-to-64 to receive the vaccine based on disabilities or underlying conditions.