* Some people have just plum lost their minds…

Yates told me I wasn’t asking the right questions. What I should have been asking was about how the coronavirus vaccine will implant people with the biblical “mark of the beast” from the Book of Revelation and allow them to be taken over by Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates.

* Catholic Conference of Illinois…

Recent days have brought hopeful news to the global fight against the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. A COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by federal regulators, shipped across the country and used to inoculate front-line health care workers. Authorization of another vaccine appears imminent.

As a faith community concerned about the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, we realize that many may be questioning the moral permissibility of these vaccines. We, the Catholic bishops of Illinois, join entirely the document released by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Moral Considerations Regarding the New COVID-19 Vaccines.” The document offers a detailed analysis of the origin of current vaccines and concludes that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are morally acceptable. We urge all Catholics to read this document.

We thank the dedicated health care workers who have tended to and comforted those afflicted by the coronavirus, as well as their families. We express our gratitude to the resourceful scientists who have produced vaccines in record time and offer encouragement to those pursuing additional remedies. And we pray for all affected by this global health crisis, be it from the death of a loved one, illness from the virus, financial hardship or isolation from families and friends.

* Press release…

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded a total of $9.709 million in federal funding to Illinois to provide critical COVID-19 public health infrastructure support, such as data monitoring capabilities, for vaccination distribution and administration. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) will receive $6,691,329 for vaccine distribution, laboratory support, and other activities, and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) will receive $3,017,831 for these coronavirus response efforts.

* ABC 7…

Healthcare workers who treated the first COVID-19 cases in Illinois back in January at St. Alexius Hospital in Hoffman Estates are now getting inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine Friday.

“Today, I feel hopeful, because you know we’re able to get the vaccine now,” said Registered Nurse Claire Antemann.

The hospital made headlines almost a year ago when the second known COVID-19 case in the country walked through the doors and soon after, her spouse became the first person-to-person transmission of the virus in the U.S.

Friday, some of the frontline workers, physicians, nurses and more that helped care for that exact couple, is getting care themselves with a shot in the arm.

* C’mon, man…

Pfizer is pushing back on the Trump administration’s suggestion that the company is having trouble producing its COVID-19 vaccine, saying it’s ready to ship millions more doses – once the government asks for them. As the company spoke out, several states said their vaccine allocations for next week have been sharply reduced.

*** UPDATE *** Press release…

U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine:

“The Attending Physician of the Capitol notified all Members of Congress and staff that, consistent with Presidential Policy Directive, Congress and the Supreme Court – along with Executive Branch agencies – would be provided and encouraged administration of the COVID-19 vaccine to meet the requirements for continuity of government operations. Therefore, I received my first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination today. I trust our public health and medical experts and encourage everyone, in consultation with your personal physician, to do the same as the distribution process continues so we can collectively end this pandemic.”

* More…

* Kids Count COVID-19 Analysis Points To Illinois’ Racial Inequties

* State Labor Board Rejects CTU Request To Delay School Reopening

* Sangamon Co. judge dismisses restraining order sought by cannabis license winners - Decision will allow state to move forward with revamped licensing process

* Warehouse And Factory Workers Make Their Case For Priority Access To The COVID-19 Vaccine

* EEOC guidance: Yes, employers can require the COVID-19 vaccine

* Lake County hospitals administer first coronavirus vaccinations: ‘I feel like I’ve just exhaled, and I’ve been holding my breath for 9 months’

* Trypanophobia is real

* The Case for Vaccinating Prisoners: For example, a study of the Cook County Jail in Chicago early in the pandemic found that inmates going in and out of the facility accounting for 55 percent of the variance in case rates across zip codes in Chicago and 37 percent in Illinois. Neighborhoods where prisoners were being released, in other words, had higher rates of infection.

* FDA Expected To Authorize Moderna Vaccine For Emergency Use

* Uber to offer 10 million free or discounted rides to people getting COVID-19 shots

* ‘Feel Like I’ve Aged 20 Years’: COVID Long Haulers Continue To Experience Symptoms Months Later