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* The Illinois Department of Public Health just published some new self-reported county-by-county numbers and, man, there are a lot of county health departments sitting on vaccines. Click here.
According to IDPH, those county departments had 172,999 vaccines on-hand as of Friday, while their “community partners” (like pharmacies) have another 117,807 doses, for a grand total of 290,806. Some of these could be second doses waiting to be administered, but that appears to be the minority.
Chicago isn’t reporting its data to the state, but suburban Cook County, with more than 2.4 million people, claims it has 44,390 doses at the county level and another 37,967 with community partners, for a total of 82,357 available doses - or about 3.4 percent of its population.
Sangamon County says it has 16,713 total doses available, or 8.6 percent of its population. Even so, Sangamon is restricting its 1B program to only those 85 and above.
Tiny Pulaski County, population 5,510, reports having 3,680 doses sitting around. That’s a whopping 67 percent of its population. The county has only vaccinated 202 people, and only 23 of those are fully vaccinated. What the heck?
I heard last week from a local that there were some issues with Madison County getting people vaxed. The county has 10,674 doses available, with another 1,918 at their community partners’ locations, for a total of 12,592.
* On the other end of the spectrum, 30 county public health departments had no vaccine doses on-hand as of Friday. And 14 of those also report no doses at their partners’ sites. The state delivers vaccines to the counties twice a week (Monday is a big delivery day), so those counties with no doses on hand as of Friday appear to be more efficient at getting doses into arms. I’m told Greene County is one of those high performers.
The local health departments asked that they be allowed to run the local programs because they have experience with similar efforts. Oops.
As the vaccine becomes more available, the local health departments will become a smaller component of the administration chain, the administration tells me.
…Adding… Through an intermediary, Rep. Patrick Windhorst says the Pulaski number is so large because that is where the headquarters is for the Southern 7 Health Dept, a regional health dept. “You’ll notice the counties around it have 0.”
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 4:37 pm
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I thought the biggest hurdle to reaching herd immunity was going to be the anti-vaxxers. Never expected so many unused doses while there were so many people begging for a chance to get the shot. Terrible.
Comment by SAP Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 4:53 pm
The inventories are crazy! Withe more contagious variants on the way they need needles in arms. Sangamon County Health Department has not been impressive. This smacks of ineptitude or something worse.
Comment by Stormsw7706 Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 4:55 pm
At the pace they are going, Pulaski has enough stock to last them 460 days. De Witt is next most overstocked with 48 days of stock on hand. The state average is 6.7 days, though, so we are getting doses in arms fast enough to run out of doses within a week if we did not receive more doses from the feds/pharma. That seems pretty respectable to me.
Comment by thechampaignlife Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 4:59 pm
At this point does it make sense to either completely do away with the tier system and just let whoever wants one to get it? Or perhaps loosening the order greatly?
Comment by What da Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 5:05 pm
How does Pulaski merit that number of doses? Are they just that old?
I still believe an issue here is people being eligible and not signing up. The state sends doses based on 1000 people eligible but only half actually sign up.
Not sure of the fix. A statewide sign up that then prioritized people would be great. But the IDES problem suggests this gang couldn’t handle that.
Comment by Equity Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 5:06 pm
===the local health departments will become a smaller component of the administration chain===
Lets take that lesson to the next step and remove local health departments completely. They’ve proven themselves over and over again to be ineffective at best and causing more harm at worst.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 5:11 pm
My county has 0 on hand. At least they are using them and not sitting on them.
Comment by Bruce( no not him) Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 5:16 pm
this is a national problem. probably holding vaccines for the second dose wondering with doubt if more will be sent. with the Feds keeping better supply flowing, and giving locals a 3 week window to know what will come, they can go ahead and make appointments for first timers knowing more is coming for second doses. even a first dose helps avoid the worst case development of the virus.
Comment by Amalia Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 5:22 pm
Local health departments are as good as their leadership and their funding. The hollowing out of Illinois government hit health departments hard.
We need more public health management, not less.
Comment by Lefty Lefty Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 5:24 pm
===The hollowing out of Illinois government hit health departments hard.===
The lack of state funding didn’t appoint the members to my county health department. A republican majority county board did that.
The lack of state funding didn’t place a conspiracy laden antivaxxer onto the county public health and safety committee. The county board did that.
The lack of state funding didn’t have a discussion with a pizza joint in the middle of the recent pandemic spike, and tell them it is fine to run a buffet. The county health department did that.
I’m sure some health departments are stocked with professionals. Many are not, and county borders aren’t what controls how an infection spreads.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 5:51 pm
Does anyone know how long do bottles of vaccine last in their freezers without losing strength?
Comment by Mama Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 6:36 pm
Whoa… Let me rewrite my last post… I swear I haven’t been drinking.
Does anyone know how long vaccines last in the freezers without losing strength?
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 6:45 pm
I am hearing of individuals who are clearly of elderly status going door to door to health clinics and pharmacies asking if there are missed appointments. When there are, they pop into line and get their vaccines. Not the plan, but a) it works, and b) better than wasting them or going slow. Government can’t do this, but doesn’t know enough to know it can’t.
Comment by Ed Equity Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 7:34 pm
The way we run local government is an embarrassment. Running a county well is last next to politics.
Comment by Publius Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 8:45 pm
Another reason for the state to review local government reduction.
Comment by Why Monday, Feb 1, 21 @ 8:55 pm
I live in a fairly small county. They do not have a robust website where one can qualify for a Covid vaccination and then select a time slot. Rather one has to first call in to register. Then the person registering “will receive a separate communication by phone or email regarding the date, time and location of your scheduled vaccine clinic.” I was never able to reach anyone to register.
Comment by Lois Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 1:38 am
I live in a fairly small county. They do not have a website where one can qualify for a Covid vaccination and then select a time slot. Rather one has to first call in to register. Then the person registering “will receive a separate communication by phone or email regarding the date, time and location of your scheduled vaccine clinic.” I was never able to reach anyone to register.
Was wondering if the state provides software to the counties for online registration and sign-up for appointments. If not, doing so could facilitate signup and alliviate the need for county health department staff to be directly engaged in many signups.
Comment by Lois Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 1:46 am
Many county health departments first proved utterly ineffective in helping enforce mitigation restrictions. Now many — sometimes the same counties — are inept at distributing vaccines. Adding insult to injury, my county appointed a restaurant owner who refused to comply with mitigation measures to the board of health.
Intervening now may or may not be practical, but I think there needs to be a top to bottom review of our local public health systems sooner rather than later.
Comment by DirtLawyer Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 8:34 am
Where I live, I have read Facebook comments on the county health department site from folks who are clearly not great at the Internet and are really challenged to follow the processes being established online. They have made comments to the effect, “I can’t read this small print,” “I don’t know where to click,” and, “Why can’t someone just call me?” It’s a valid point that our elderly aren’t ALL computer-savvy and this is their hurdle to getting a vaccine.
Comment by I Live Here Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 8:35 am
=I’m sure some health departments are stocked with professionals. Many are not, and county borders aren’t what controls how an infection spreads.=
Once outside the collar counties and the few small metro areas, the resources are dramatically different. Not many medical professionals in some of these small county health departments. And these days hey have been taking a beating from all sides.
I fell for them, they are just in over their heads. Our small county has done an admirable job, but they just don’t have the expertise or resources which is likely intentional from the county board standpoint. Gotta keep those taxes low you know.
Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 8:44 am
everyone in public health agencies had months to plan a vaccine roll out. it appears they all sat on their hands and assumed a vaccine was not going to be available this soon.
this is a full on embarrassment
Comment by JG from PG Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 9:09 am
Where are the Chicago numbers? Why aren’t they being forced to report? This should be a requirement of receiving the vaccine. Because I gotta tell you that I’ve been unsuccessful in trying to find out where I can get a shot. Very frustrating to hear this.
Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 9:10 am
My mom and several of my aunts were nurses, so I’m going to take the opposite side in parts of this argument for a minute:
When this inventory survey was requested, what day, and what time of day, was it required?
Is it possible some of the counties with “large” inventories had just received vaccine shipments, and were working on preparing them for shot clinics to be held within just a few days of the survey? If we surveyed again on a Monday or Tuesday, is it possible their inventory numbers might be much lower?
Looking at some of the small rural counties:
The county I grew up in is listed as zero in both categories. With no hospital and only 2 pharmacies in its borders, is it possible their doses are in one of the two neighboring counties with hospitals and more pharmacies? (Personally, I find that more believable than the county health department being able to get any doses they may have received into arms.)
I readily stipulate that many small departments are under-budgeted and understaffed, and in small rural counties the staff may not have the medical training and professional licensing needed to administer vaccines (especially like the first two covid-19 vaccines we have, which are super finicky regarding storage and preparation, and only a six hour life to be used in once you bring them into a room where vaccines can happen.)
(Looking around, ducking behind the large piece of furniture I can find.)
Comment by Lynn S. Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 9:12 am
Just like you’ve got to stop electing people who hate government, to government, you have to stop putting people on public health boards who don’t believe in public health…just saying.
Comment by PublicServant Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 9:13 am
Wondering if Pulaski County’s allocation has anything to do with the detention center there? Still seems excessive as I think the detention center is only 240 bed facility, but it does serve as federal holding site.
Comment by DownSouth Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 9:14 am
The state should redistribute vaccines from counties where people don’t want the vaccine to counties where people do.
Who is in charge of the implementation of the state vaccine plan, and what deadline have the set for completing Phase 1a first round vaccinations?
Comment by Thomas Paine Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 11:00 am
=== state should redistribute vaccines===
Stay tuned.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 11:11 am
Our county appears to be sitting on a larger stockpile yet can’t seem to move out of the 1a category for some reason though they have added 85 year olds to the category. In the meantime I have given what could have been my slot as the driver for a person over 85 to a family member with a health condition who also needs it. I am a cancer survivor and would love to have the vaccine and can’t for the life of me figure out how or where to get it in this county. More than one distribution center needs to be available in each county. Information needs to be distributed in a clear and concise manner to the general public and in a way that doesn’t depend on using the internet or clogged phone lines to make appointments. Too many businesses and State agencies assume that everyone has access to the internet and computers and can use them. That assumption needs to change as well.
Comment by bungalowhistorians Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 11:17 am
When all of this is over, Illinois needs to take a long and critical review of how public health is handled at the local level. It’s not just 102+ systems; it’s also wide gaps in funding and in levels of local partisan political interference.
Local Health Board administrators have been threatened by local politicians… and the list goes on and on.
Local control sounds good, but the reality is different. The COVID crisis has brought out the need for systemic reform.
Comment by Yesterday’s Chairman Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 11:17 am
It’s worth noting too that Pulaski is part of Southern Seven Health department - so (readily admitting I haven’t checked data to see if this could be the case) Pulaski may be accounting for all or part of the seven counties under the Southern Seven umbrella.
Comment by DownSouth Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 11:52 am
The Walgreens website works but one has to be persistent as it took 2 days but then once I researched the vaccine distribution process from Fed to State to County and City it was apparent that new appointments open as the availablity works it way down the food chain to Walgreens (takes several days) then Walgreens has figure out the distruibution to the various pharmacies and then the website is updated (which is why it goes down for the upgrade); then the appointments are come on line and can be made. Then it’s about navigating the different Walgreens sites to find the available appointment. Many areas of the city have no Walgreens with the set up to vaccinate or are not getting the vaccine. I had to travel 40 minutes for the appointment I found. Biden plans direct to pharmacies and that will give Walgreens real time info to plan ahead rather than this overly complex system. Should be no different than getting a regular flu shot (always get it just down the street at CVS); but until there’s enough vaccine that’s not happening anytime soon.
Comment by dd Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 11:56 am
My local, small business pharmacist in Chicago was trying to get his 80 year old father signed up for that vaccine at the local Osco store, because the state still hasn’t allowed for his supply of vaccine to be distributed to his store yet. The Jewel Osco system showed 0 available vaccine appointments until 2022.
Comment by MaconMaven Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 4:05 pm
CVS and Walgreens knew they did not have the staffing capability to successfully handle the rollout of the nursing homes. Today, President Biden announced he would directly shipping vaccines to pharmacies, but again, only 21 chain pharmacies. This rewards the 2 largest chains that slow-walked the nursing home vaccination program, and steers patients from smaller community pharmacies that have relationships with patients.
Illinois has a network of independent pharmacies that serve a diverse population, but IDPH doesn’t have the personnel to approve the overwhelmingly amount of Vaccine Registry requests for these local pharmacies. The state will not allocate vaccines to pharmacies that haven’t been approved by the IDPH Vaccine registry system, yet they can’t receive approval because of the IDPH backlog.
We have been hearing of the possibility of reallocating the vaccines, but if they get distributed to CVS, Walgreens, and other already overwhelmed and understaffed chain stores, this just punts the problem and doesn’t fix it.
Comment by Dr Pepper Tuesday, Feb 2, 21 @ 4:33 pm