The Illinois Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention granted Northwestern approval to directly administer the vaccine to NU community members once supplies become available, according to a Monday email from the University. 

Most members of the NU community do not currently qualify for the vaccine as Illinois is still in Phase 1B of vaccine distribution, which focuses on individuals over the age of 65 and some frontline essential workers. The University is waiting for confirmation as to whether faculty and staff will be included in Phase 1C of vaccine distribution, which will make the vaccine available to non-frontline essential workers. 

To ensure preparedness for eventual vaccine distribution, NU is partnering with the Evanston Health and Human Services Department to run a small pilot program that will provide vaccinations to NU faculty and staff who qualify for the vaccine according to state guidelines but have not yet been able to receive it. The University has also agreed to provide certain facilities to the City of Evanston for future community mass vaccinations.

In the Monday email, the University also reminded community members who live or work in Evanston to fill out Evanston’s vaccine contact form. The University will continue to update the community as vaccine supplies become more readily available, the email said.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @binahschatsky

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