FEMA Provides $43 Million to the State of Illinois for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Support

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) announced today that $43,361,000 in expedited federal funding has been made available to IEMA for costs related to the state’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan under the federal disaster declaration of January 20, 2020.

This funding is an advance payment to IEMA for eligible reimbursable costs to provide contract healthcare staffing for rapid distribution and administration of available COVID-19 vaccines across the state. The grant also includes the establishment and operation of temporary facilities and vaccination assistance teams throughout Illinois, including mobile vaccination assistance teams staffed by National Guard members and contract temporary healthcare providers.

“FEMA is committed to expanding COVID-19 vaccination efforts across the country” said Kevin M. Sligh, acting regional administrator, FEMA Region 5. “This expedited grant funding ensures the availability of critical healthcare resources to vaccinate Illinoisans and is just one part of our support to the state in their fight against this pandemic.”

FEMA provides funding at a 100 percent federal share of eligible reimbursable expenses for this project.

“This federal funding will help the state of Illinois build vaccination teams that will be utilized throughout the state to help vaccinate Illinoisans eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine,” said IEMA Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “These additional resources will allow our state to augment the efforts of local health departments to accelerate vaccination efforts with a keen focus on equitability and accessibility.”

“Just two days after announcing an increase in weekly vaccine allocations to states and a deal to secure an additional 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the summer, I’m incredibly grateful to see another action from the federal government to speed up the national vaccination effort, our best tool for putting this pandemic behind us,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With this $43 million in additional funding for vaccine distribution here in Illinois, we’ll be able to further expand our vaccination operations and offer more easy-access locations for our residents as the national vaccine supply increases. This is a welcome development in our Vaccination Administration Plan, and I look forward to collaborating with the federal government on bringing more vaccine and vaccination sites to Illinois.”  

FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides funding to local government jurisdictions and eligible private non-profits for the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged infrastructure as well as costs incurred for debris removal, disaster cleanup and emergency actions taken to protect lives or property.  To learn more, visit FEMA’s website at www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit.

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