With 1.5 million Illinoisans currently eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination booster shot and millions more set to become eligible in the coming weeks, Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike announced a statewide effort to increase uptake rates. IDPH is partnering with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), and Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) to increase education around boosters and provide support to skilled nursing facilities as they work to administer boosters to residents. Currently, Illinois residents 65 or older, anyone 18+ with underlying medical conditions (listed here) or who work or live in high-risk settings, such as educators and first responders, are eligible to receive a booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine. The CDC is set to review booster recommendations for the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines on Oct. 20 and 21, with final CDC authorization coming at the end of the week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended a booster shot for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on September 23rd. Eligible residents who previously received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine can receive a booster shot at a pharmacy, their primary care provider, local health department, and other locations offering Pfizer vaccinations. To find a vaccination location near you, visit vaccines.gov.