Vaccines coming to Southland nursing homes

Dec. 24—After Chicago-area hospitals received their initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, nursing homes and long-term care centers in the south suburbs expect to begin getting their shots starting next week.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has contracted with drugstore chains CVS and Walgreens to administer the vaccines.

At his daily update on the pandemic Wednesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said that about 37,000 doses of the vaccine were heading to long-term care facilities outside of Chicago.

Residents and staff at senior care facilities are part of the initial phase of vaccinations that included hospital workers.

Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ingalls Memorial in Harvey, Little Company of Mary in Evergreen Park and Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest received initial doses a week ago. This followed Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, which received its first doses earlier that week.

At Little Company, 1,131 employees were vaccinated over five days, according to Libby Allison, a spokeswoman for the hospital's operator, OSF HealthCare. What percentage of employees received their initial dose was not available because shots were also administered to independent physicians who are not directly employed by the hospital, she said.

Aperion Care, which operates post-hospital rehabilitation and long-term skilled nursing care centers in the Midwest, expected to get its first doses before the new year, with deliveries continuing through January and into February, according to Frederick Frankel, general counsel for the Lincolnwood-based company.

"We're excited for this," he said.

The company has 30 Illinois locations and in the Southland operates facilities in Chicago Heights, Dolton, Glenwood, Midlothian and Oak Lawn.

"We are not in control of the system or the timing" of when individual locations will receive doses, he said.

Both CVS and Walgreens will be involved in administering the vaccines, but in instances where an patient is positive for the virus, the shot would be given by an Aperion nurse, Frankel said.

He said that patients and staff at each home need to give their consent. Frankel said he did not have numbers available showing how many patients or employees are agreeable to getting the shot.

"I think that across long-term care you are getting a big buy-in," he surmised. That includes both workers and patients.

ProMedica Senior Care, which operates ManorCare nursing homes, is getting doses from CVS and has vaccinations underway at locations in Florida and Ohio, said Julie Beckert, a company spokeswoman.

"We have had good participation so far," she said.

The Toledo, Ohio-based company, formerly HCR ManorCare, operates more than 400 senior care facilities. It has two each in Oak Lawn and Palos Heights, and one in Homewood. She said that the company's Palos West facility in Palos Heights is due to receive doses Dec. 30.

Smith Senior Living, which operates Smith Crossing in Orland Park and Smith Village in Chicago's Beverly community, was expecting both locations to receive vaccines by early January, said spokeswoman Sheila King.

Residents and staff at Smith Crossing will get the Pfizer vaccine and Smith Village staff and residents the Moderna shot. Walgreens is administering the vaccines at both locations, and the shots are available to all residents, including those in independent living, she said.

Mercy Circle, a retirement community on Chicago's Southwest Side near St. Xavier University, was scheduled to receive Pfizer vaccines Jan. 2 from Walgreens, King said.

Danny Chun of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association said it was far too early to estimate the number of hospital staff statewide who've agreed to be vaccinated, with a clearer picture perhaps not available for several more weeks.

A CDC survey released late November showed that 63% of health care workers polled nationwide were willing to get the vaccine.

"A lot of our hospitals are working on educating employees about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine," Chun said.

He said a lot of people in health care who get the shots are excited and sharing on social media to encourage others.

In Illinois, 800,000 health care workers, including hospital and nursing home employees and residents, are part of the initial vaccine rollout, which requires two doses spaced roughly three weeks apart.

It's expected to take several weeks, perhaps even a few months, before that first group is vaccinated, under what is termed phase 1a.

The next group, under phase 1b, could include tens of millions of workers in what are considered front line essential occupations, including first responders, teachers, letter carriers and grocery store workers, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended last week.

Under phase 1c, the next group could include other essential workers such as those in the transportation and logistics sectors, information technology and communication, those in finance and utility workers, according to the advisory committee's recommendations.

However, it will be up to individual states to determine what workers are considered essential and in line for the vaccine before a broader rollout to the general public.

mnolan@tribpub.com

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