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9-year-old Jervin Roman winces before receiving a COVID-19 vaccine at Esperanza Health Centers, 6057 S. Western Ave., on Nov. 4, 2021. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

CHICAGO — Some Americans will soon be able to get a fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot.

Federal agencies have approved a fourth Pfizer or Moderna shot for moderately to severely immunocompromised people if it’s been at least five months since their last booster shot. Some of those people will be eligible as soon as this week, according to a Times report.

People with compromised immune systems are more at risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19.

The United States is only offering fourth shots to a small group of people at this time.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has said the agency’s focus is still on providing third shots to people who are eligible, according to the Times. But the CDC is following data from Israel, which has begun offering fourth shots to residents.

Vaccinations:

• In Illinois, about 7.7 million people — or 61.07 percent of the state’s 12.7 million people — are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to state data.

• Across the state, 54,224 vaccine doses are being administered per day, based on a seven-day rolling average.

• Illinois and Chicago have administered at least 19,686,548 vaccine doses of the 22,298,775 provided to them.

• City data shows more than 1.7 million Chicagoans — or 64.9 percent of all residents — are fully vaccinated, and 72.3 percent of all Chicagoans have gotten at least one shot.

Everyone 5 and older is eligible to get vaccinated in Chicago.

COVID-19 vaccinations are free and do not require insurance. Anyone can call the city’s coronavirus hotline at 312-746-4835 to get more information on how and where to get vaccinated in their community.

The numbers:

• Since Friday, 207 Illinoisans were reported dead from COVID-19.

• At least 28,568 people have died from COVID-19 in Illinois, and another 3,348 deaths are probably related to the virus, according to the state.

• The state reported 77,833 cases since Friday. That brings the total number of confirmed cases in Illinois up to 2,460,270.

• Since Friday, 835,655 tests were reported statewide. In all, 46,827,777 tests have been reported in Illinois.

• Illinois’ seven-day case positivity rate was at 13.4 percent. The figure represents the percentage of people testing positive among recent tests. It was at 15.2 percent Friday.

• Illinois’ seven-day test positivity rate, which measures the percentage of tests that were positive, was at 17.3 percent. It was at 18.5 percent Friday.

• As of Sunday night, 1,139 people with COVID-19 were in the ICU and 644 people with COVID-19 were using ventilators in Illinois.

• In Chicago, 41 deaths were reported since Friday. There have been at least 6,425 deaths from COVID-19 in Chicago. The city is seeing an average of 11 people dying per day, down 12 percent from a week ago.

• Chicago has had 14,854 confirmed cases reported since Friday. It’s had a total of 480,546 confirmed cases. An average of 5,260 confirmed cases are being reported per day, up 16 percent from a week ago.

• Testing in Chicago is down 11 percent from a week ago.

• Chicago’s positivity rate is at 21.1 percent, up from 17.1 percent the week prior.

Block Club Chicago’s coronavirus coverage is free for all readers.

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