* The Tribune looks at differences in vaccine use between the Downstate and the Chicago areas…

One way to look at the situation is to measure the average number of doses on hand each day, compared to the average daily number of residents getting vaccinated. That formula shows three regions — West-Central, Metro East and South — have enough doses to vaccinate their residents, at their current paces, for more than three weeks.

Near Chicago, inventory levels are far smaller. IDPH doesn’t track the city of Chicago’s inventory, but for the four regions that encompass the suburbs, supply levels have lingered at 10 days or less.

The shortest supply can be found in the region that combines Lake and McHenry counties, which had on hand a supply good for barely four days’ worth of vaccinations.

Mark Pfister, director of Lake County’s health department, told the Tribune last week that his Lake County department has no trouble still filling up all appointment slots at clinics it runs. It also cannot keep up with all of the physicians and pharmacists vying for the doses provided by IDPH.

10 days isn’t bad. Four days, however, is way too tight. As we’ve already discussed, the state has changed the way it’s distributing the vaccines to deal with these regional differences.

More stuff in that Trib story, so click here.

…Adding… The governor’s office says the Tribune story is based only on one sort of distriction, via local health departments. There are, of course, several other dose sources, including mass vaccination sites, the federal government (to pharmacies), state strike teams, etc.

* WSIL…

For the Southern Seven Health Department, the average population for completely vaccinated adults is about 18.3%.

The average across Illinois is 25%.

“That shows you how much of a lag there is between the state average for fully vaccinated, and Southern Seven’s fully vaccinated average. And that is just because we don’t have people coming out to get vaccinated,” said Nathan Ryder, the Southern Seven Health Department outreach coordinator.

This trend is showing up not only in Southern Seven counties.

Jackson and Egyptian Health Departments have seen similar issues.

“They’re still seeing strong demand in larger cities and urban areas across the state. But just like many other places across the United States, rural populations are just not coming out to get vaccinated,” said Ryder.

* New poll…

Amidst the pause in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, there has been no change in Americans’ likelihood to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

* Currently, 20% say they are not at all likely to get the vaccine, as soon as it’s available to them. This number has remained steady since early January 2021.
* At the same time, the number of American adults that report receiving at least one dose of the vaccine continues to climb (now at 56%).

* Related…

* ‘Quite frustrating’: Dr. Fauci on GOP vaccine hesitancy

* National Guard Unit comes to Aurora COVID-19 vaccination site

* Press Release: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Launches #VaccTogether Campaign as COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility Expands

* Study: Single COVID Vaccine Dose Insufficient for Individuals Who Had Mild Cases of Virus

* In recent COVID-19 outbreaks at schools, sports are the frequent culprit