The Knox County Unified Command in conjunction with the Knox County Health Department are announcing that Knox County has entered the next phase of their vaccine rollout, Phase 1B and Phase 1B Plus, increasing the eligibility to many of our residents. So, those eligible for the vaccine at the current time are health care workers and other qualified individuals in the Phase 1A and Phase 1B and 1B Plus residents who reside in or work in Knox County.
Phase 1B opens vaccines to those who are age 65 years and older as well as “frontline essential workers,” which includes first responders, education workers like teachers and support staff, childcare workers, grocery store employees, postal service workers and more.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health the following individuals are eligible to receive vaccine in Phase 1B and 1B Plus.
- Age 65 or older
- Frontline essential worker (examples of frontline workers within the eligible categories for Phase 1b, Part 1.): First responders: Fire, law enforcement, 911 worker, security personnel, school officer
- Education: K-12 teacher, school administrator, student support staff, student aide, day care worker and center-based child care provider, home visiting provider, early intervention therapists, Head Start/Early Head Start provider, Preschool for All provider
- Food and agriculture: Processing plants, veterinary health, livestock services, animal care
- Manufacturing: Industrial production of goods for distribution to retail, wholesale, or other manufactures
- Corrections workers and incarcerated individuals: Correctional officer and staff, jail officer and staff, juvenile facility staff, a worker providing in-person support or services, incarcerated individuals
- U.S. Postal Service worker
- Public transit worker: Flight crew, bus driver, train conductor, taxi driver, para-transit driver, in-person support, ride sharing service driver
- Grocery store worker: Bagger, cashier, stocker, pickup, customer service
- Shelters and adult day care staff: Homeless shelter, women’s shelter, adult day/drop-in program, sheltered workshop
Phase 1B Plus eligible individuals include 18-64 years of age with high-risk medical conditions such as:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Pulmonary Diseases
- Smoking
- Heart Conditions
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- Cancer
- Solid Organ Transplant
- Sickle Cell Disease
- Pregnancy
- Persons with a Disability1 (Not otherwise covered in previous categories.)
“Vaccinations are available only by appointment at this time and we encourage residents to check the Knox County Health Department website and social media frequently for updates,” states Michele Gabriel, Public Health Administrator. “Registration links become available to the public on Friday’s at 2 p.m. Until the supply is increased, there will continue to be a great demand and we ask for your continued support and patience.”
Vaccines are available by appointment only in our community at Galesburg Cottage Hospital, OSF HealthCare St Mary Medical Center, Hy-Vee, and Walgreens pharmacies.
Vaccine information and first dose clinic dates and times will continue to be updated on the Health Department website: www.knoxcountyhealth.org and social media. If you have specific questions about registering or whether you meet the criteria, you may email the Health Department at covid19@knoxcountyhealth.org.
Credible sources for information about COVID-19 include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov and Illinois Department of Public Health www.dph.illinois.gov. The following webpage, http://gis.ci.galesburg.il.us/COVID, is the official source of information on COVID-19 numbers for Knox County. For general questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931, email dph.sick@illinois.gov or call your Knox County Health Department at 309-344-2224.
***Report Courtesy of the Knox County Health Department***
