ARCHIVED: This resource has been archived. To find a COVID-19 vaccine near you, please see vaccines.gov.
Updated: 4/15/2021
Advocate Aurora Health is now vaccinating anyone in Illinois and Wisconsin who is 16 and older - whether you are a patient or not - with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. You can schedule in LiveWell, online, or by calling 866-443-2584. Please see this link for more information.
We are not able to administer COVID-19 vaccines at the Adult Down Syndrome Center. However, Advocate Aurora Health has locations in Park Ridge and throughout the Chicagoland area.
Updated: 3/20/2021
The state of Illinois has announced the following eligibility dates:
- March 22, 2021: Higher education staff, government workers, and media
- March 29, 2021: Restaurant staff, construction trade workers, and religious leaders
- April 12, 2021: Any resident age 16 and up
Updated: 2/25/2021
After Governor Pritzker announced the expansion of phase 1B eligibility in Illinois, there was some uncertainty if the broad category of people with disabilities includes people with Down syndrome. The State of Illinois clarified that people with disabilities includes people with a physical, developmental, visual, hearing, or mental disability. Thus, people with Down syndrome are included in this expansion. Phase 1B eligibility can be reviewed here.
Updated: 2/12/2021
On Wednesday, February 10, Governor Pritzker announced that Illinois would expand phase 1b vaccine eligibility on February 25 to include people with health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and people with disabilities. On Thursday, February 11, Chicago Mayor Lightfoot and Cook County Board President Preckwinkle jointly announced that Chicago and Cook County would not expand phase 1b eligibility because of lack of vaccine supply. We continue to advocate for adults with Down syndrome to be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. We also continue to encourage patients and families to sign up for the MyAdvocateAurora portal (online or with the LiveWell app) and to follow their local public health department for the most up-to-date information about vaccine distribution and supply.
Illinois Vaccination Plan (as of 2/10/2021) - see the Illinois Department of Public Health website for updates and additional information.
Updated: 1/26/2021
The Cook County survey referenced in our original post is no longer active. Cook County has a new form to register for the vaccine. It can be accessed at this link.
We have also heard from some families that they were able to get a vaccine by signing up with pharmacies such as Walgreens, CVS, and/or Walmart.
Updated: 1/22/2021
The Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Rehabilitation Services and Division of Developmental Disabilities shared a letter that explains that family members of individuals with certain disabilities, including Down syndrome, are "health care workers" pursuant to the State of Illinois' Vaccine Administration Plan and thus are prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination within Phase 1a. The letter can be found at this link. This information may help families of individuals with Down syndrome receive the vaccine earlier.
Updated: 1/18/2021
We have received many questions about when people with Down syndrome and their families can receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The answer depends on several factors, including the state and county that a person resides in and the number of vaccines that are available. We are encouraging families to review information from their local health department as well as their healthcare provider.
As of now, we are not certain if we will be able to administer COVID-19 vaccines at the Adult Down Syndrome Center. However, our patients will be able to receive the vaccine at an Advocate Aurora Health site (on a rolling basis based on risk factors). Vaccine appointments will be scheduled using the Live Well app. More information and a link to download the Live Well app can be found in the FAQ linked here.
You may be able to get a vaccine more quickly by contacting your local health department. For example, many of our patients live in Cook County. The Cook County Department of Public Health has a survey on their website that residents can fill out so that they will be contacted when they can schedule a vaccine appointment. The survey can be found at this link. A couple notes about the survey:
- The survey uses the CDC definition of healthcare personnel which includes paid and unpaid workers. Home Aide/Caregiver is listed as an example. Families of individuals with Down syndrome may serve this role for their loved one. *See the update above for a letter from the Illinois Department of Human Services.
- Another question asks about high risk medical conditions. Down syndrome is listed as one of the conditions.
We have provided links to several other local health departments in the Vaccine Distribution section of the resource linked here.
To see all our resources on COVID-19, please visit this link.