Skokie and Evanston are among a small handful of Cook County towns that operate their own health departments outside of the county system.

In Skokie, Mike Charley, director of health and human services, said the village should soon open two vaccination clinics to finish immunizing health care providers, and move on to Skokie teachers and educators.

In vaccination lingo, group 1a includes the first people allowed to receive the vaccine. That group includes paramedics, health care hospital workers and long-term care facility residents, according to the city of Evanston. The next group, 1b, includes residents 65 and older and “non-health care front line essential workers,” like teachers, law enforcement and grocery store workers.

In Evanston, 4,125 doses were given to hospitals to administer to health care workers in group 1a, according to city data. About 70 doses were given to paramedics and first responders, and more than 800 doses were given to non-hospital health care workers.

A smattering of law enforcement officers and others in group 1b already have received the vaccine, as they are on a “stand by” list for doses left over from the day’s clinics that must be used before they go bad, Olsen said.