Good data here from @IDPH on COVID vaccination rates by county. A few quick thoughts to share... http://www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19/vaccinedata?county=Illinois

1. As I noted at the DuPage fairgrounds yesterday, we have to play the cards we have, not the cards we wish we had. My height and vertical leap means I won't ever dunk a basketball. The process of vaccine rollout to date has created similar near-term challenges.

2. Among those issues is the lack of any federal coordination during the prior administration. From PPE to ventilators to testing to vaccines, states had to compete with each other rather than work collaboratively to crush the virus.

3. That is starting to improve, but public health officials are still grappling with multiple databases, supply channels and vendors who are not all in sync. Different definitions of 1A, 1B by region, different ability to get yourself on relevant databases are the result.

4. Please don't take this out on public health officials. None of them are happy with the number of COVID cases, nor the vaccine supply they have available. All are working hard to address a problem that is as much a public health crisis as a political one.

5. They have more responsibility than authority and are making the most of that situation. Show them some love and patience as they grapple with the cards they have been dealt.

6. And keep in mind that our metrics of success aren't perfect. Maximizing the % of a population that is vaccinated isn't exactly the same as minimizing spread given the ranges of living / work situations that different human beings have.

7. That's why this is both a public health AND political problem. A bus driver working 2 shifts a day is going to be harder to schedule a vaccination appointment for than a wealthy senior citizen who spends all day at home. But they also present very different rates of spread.

8. There is no "right" answer to that trade off. But please appreciate that good, well intentioned people are trying to manage those equities as best they can. It's a hard job, and we owe them our thanks.

9. And while some regions are doing a much better job than others at getting "shots into arms" let's all make sure we measure success in absolute rather than relative terms. Crushing COVID depends not on my county doing better than your county, but on all of us working together.

10. This will get easier as more vaccines come to market, as production ramps up and as more federal coordination comes into play with the Biden administration. Until then, be patient.

11. And once we're through this, let's not forget this moment. There are consequences of starving our public health system and failing to provide resources to the local government agencies that are on the frontlines of this pandemic. We can - and must - do better. /fin