At three of the state’s veterans homes, more than 90% of the residents have received COVID-19 vaccines. At the LaSalle home, it’s just 75%. Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Chief of Staff Tony Kolbeck says there are good reasons for the lower percentage ironically relating to the outbreak the vaccines are aimed at stopping.
The residents who got an antigen treatment during the outbreak in November and December have to wait 90 days to get the vaccination. Depending on when they got the treatment, that would reach into February or March. Known exposure to the virus also means they can’t get the vaccine just yet.
Kolbeck answered questions at an Illinois House Civil Judiciary Committee hearing today. He said the resident vaccination rates are 75% at LaSalle, 94.7% at Quincy, 92.3% at Manteno, and 94% at Anna.
Staff at the veterans home in LaSalle have the highest vaccination rate among the four homes at 48.2%. At Quincy the rate is 35.8%, at Manteno it’s 20.3%, and at Anna it’s 42.5%.