IDPH Reports Illinois Surpassed 1 Million Mark for Bivalent COVID-19 Booster Shots

For Release – Friday, October 21

Public Health Officials Are Encouraged by Strong Uptake of Updated Vaccines; Illinois Announces 11,955 New Cases of COVID-19 in Past Week

CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported that more than 1.1 million Illinoisans have received a dose of the new, bivalent COVID-19 vaccines since they were approved for use in early September, including 207,000 doses in the last week. Since the approval of the updated booster shots, daily vaccination numbers have been trending at the highest level since early February, during the major surge in illnesses caused by the Omicron variant. The new bivalent vaccines are designed to offer added protection from the now-dominant strains of the Omicron variant.

The announcement comes as the CDC released data showing that 26 counties in Illinois are at an elevated level for COVID-19, up from 16 a week ago. This includes three counties at High Community Level for COVID-19. IDPH is reporting 11,955 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Illinois, including 43 deaths since October 14.

“I am encouraged to see the large and growing numbers of Illinoisans who are taking action to protect themselves and their families with the new bivalent booster,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said. “For those who have not gotten the new bivalent booster or the flu shot, NOW is the best time to get fully immunized and protected, while COVID-19 community levels are still relatively low. As we are currently experiencing a sharp increase in severe pediatric respiratory diseases that is resulting in a shortage of pediatric beds – and at the same time facing the prospect of a fall and winter surge of COVID-19 and other illnesses affecting all of us – I am strongly recommending the latest COVID-19 and flu shots for all those who are eligible. These immunizations are especially important for anyone over 50, immunocompromised, or those with chronic medical conditions.”

IDPH is working with the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP) to encourage physicians and parents to ensure children are fully protected from COVID-19 and the flu. ICAAP is providing resources for doctors and parents HERE.

IDPH reported that over the last week, an average of more than 29,000 doses of the new bivalent vaccines were administered across the state each day. This is more than triple the daily average for all vaccinations for most of the summer.

The CDC authorized two new bivalent booster vaccines on September 1 that include an mRNA component of the original strain to provide an immune response that is broadly protective against COVID-19 and an added mRNA component in common between the omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5 lineages to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant.

Initially, the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent, was authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals 18 years of age and older and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent, was authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals 12 years of age and older. On October 12, the CDC authorized the updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech for children ages 5 through 11 years, and from Moderna for children and adolescents ages 6 through 17 years.

The updated boosters are available at pharmacies, hospitals, and other healthcare providers. The best way to locate a vaccine provider near you is to visit www.vaccines.gov and search for bivalent booster availability.

Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 3,796,038 cases, including 35,168 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois since the beginning of the pandemic.

As of last night, 1,060 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 124 patients were in the ICU and 51 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators. The preliminary seven-day statewide case rate is 94 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 Illinoisans.

The CDC recommends the following measures for people in areas that are rated at High Community Level for COVID-19 transmission:

Wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public, regardless of vaccination status (including in K-12 schools and other indoor community settings)
If you are immunocompromised or high risk for severe disease
- Wear a mask or respirator that provides you with greater protection
- Consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public where you could be exposed
- Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to take other precautions
- Have a plan for rapid testing if needed (e.g., having home tests or access to testing)
- IF YOU TEST POSITIVE: Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you are a candidate for treatments like oral antivirals, and monoclonal antibodies
If you have household or social contact with someone at high risk for severe disease
- consider self-testing to detect infection before contact
- consider wearing a mask when indoors with them
Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters
Maintain improved ventilation throughout indoor spaces when possible
Follow CDC recommendations for isolation and quarantine, including getting tested if you are exposed to COVID-19 or have symptoms of COVID-19

In counties at the Medium Community Level, persons who are elderly or immunocompromised (at risk of severe outcomes) are advised to wear a mask in indoor public places. They should also get up to date on COVID-19 vaccines or get their bivalent booster, if eligible.

IDPH has been supporting pharmacies and healthcare providers in efforts to increase their inventories of the various FDA-authorized treatments. There are over 1,200 treatment locations in Illinois – including all the major retail pharmacies. More than 96.7% of the state’s population is within a 10-mile radius of one of these locations.

A total of 24,478,907 vaccines have been administered in Illinois. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 33,992 doses, including the bivalent booster and first doses. Since October 14, 237,941 doses were reported administered in Illinois. Of Illinois’ total population, more than 78% have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, more than 70% have completed their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines, and more than 55% of the vaccinated population has an initial booster, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Data indicates that the risk of hospitalization and severe outcomes from COVID-19 is much higher for unvaccinated people than for those who are up to date on their vaccinations. All data are provisional and are subject to change. Additional information and COVID-19 data can be found at https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19.html.

Vaccination is the key to ending this pandemic. To find a COVID-19 vaccination location near you, go to www.vaccines.gov. The federal government has established a new website that provides an all-purpose toolkit with information on how to obtain masks, treatment, vaccines and testing resources for all areas of the country at: https://www.covid.gov/.