Prairie State Wire

llinois state Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) is calling attention to a growing trend where younger people are receiving the COVID-19 vaccine out of turn and at the expense of more at-risk state residents.

“I raised this over a month ago, pointing out that ineligible, otherwise healthy young people were getting vaccinated when seniors and the disabled couldn't find a shot anywhere,” Chapin recently posted on Twitter.

Between Feb. 1 and 4, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District estimates that approximately 1,500 people received the shot out of turn, with Deputy Administrator and Epidemiologist Awais Vaid attributing it to “ambiguity” in the state vaccination guidelines.

While child care, preschool and kindergarten through eighth grade educators are now eligible for the vaccine under Phase 1b guidelines, higher education employees are not mentioned as part of that mix.

“In my personal opinion, higher ed should have been included under education,” Vaid added. “There is no difference between a high school teacher and a university teacher who is teaching in person.”

Just the same, Vaid said the error has now been addressed and office has tightened protocols, though in-person instructors, athletic coaches and university workers who received a first shot were allowed to receive their second dose when the time came.