Sens. Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $22 Million to Support Vaccine Distribution in Illinois

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release on Feb. 4, 2021:

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced a total of $22.8 million in federal funding to support vaccine distribution in Illinois. The funding is being awarded to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

"This funding will provide critical support to our state's public health infrastructure as we undertake the monumental task of vaccinating our population as quickly and equitably as possible," Durbin said. "Senator Duckworth and I are committed to ensuring that the federal government keeps its foot on the accelerator and continues to provide support to our state so that we can break the back of this virus."

"We still have more work to do to save lives, keep residents healthy and get to the other side of this public health crisis--and that work needs to include increased supply and availability of vaccinations," said Duckworth. "Today's federal investment is crucial to helping distribute those vaccines efficiently and equitably across Illinois. I'll keep working alongside Senator Durbin, the Pritzker administration and state and local health officials to support Illinoisans, especially those from hard-hit communities, as our state and our nation continue making progress in overcoming this deadly virus."

Today's announcement follows on $43 million that Durbin and Duckworth announced last week from FEMA to IEMA for vaccination assistance teams and facilities, including through the National Guard. Last month, Durbin and Duckworth announced another $843 million they secured through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for Illinois health departments to support vaccination and testing efforts.