While many people in Illinois are struggling to get the COVID-19 vaccine, Southern Illinois has recently had a surplus.
Part of the reason for the availability is that Jackson County has partnered with the state, and is receiving additional vaccine supply under that program.
Jackson County Health Department administrator Bart Hagston said the eligibility is still limited to those in groups 1A, 1B and 1B plus, because individual counties can't move to the next stage ahead of the state.
“Part of the issue right now is people don't realize that they currently qualify under 1B plus. Because that is for people 16 to 64 years of age who have underlying health conditions and there's a whole list of those conditions and it includes heart disease, cancer, sickle cell disease, diabetes, obesity, current or former smokers, and so that opens up the list to quite a large percentage of the adult population,” he said. “So we want to make sure they realize they are currently eligible for vaccination if they have one of those conditions, and they're making their appointment to be vaccinated.”
All Illinois residents are eligible to register for an appointment in Jackson County. Anyone who isn't sure if they qualify for 1B plus can call the Jackson County Health Department for more information or for assistance in making an appointment. The county is currently administering all 3 brands of vaccine, and will post the brand available each day on their Facebook page.
