From the Editor: Chronicling the vaccine phase of the pandemic experience

Hope comes in different forms in our evolving COVID-19 existence.

In March, it was availability of testing for the strange new killer virus that was devastating New York - and creeping into the Chicago area, too. The simple question - Do I have it? - could be answered, offering reassurance or at least a chance to keep others safe.

Our reporters rushed to tell readers how they could get one of the new, rare tests that were available outside of a hospital ER.

Since then, we have written hundreds of stories helping readers access COVID-19 tests: Lines for tests, mobile tests, positivity rates for tests, saliva tests, "instant" tests. By now, nearly 14 million tests have been done in Illinois. They're free at drive-up sites for anyone with or without symptoms. Some days, more than 100,000 people get tests.

Ten months later, hope has new packaging. The novel indignity of a swab up the nose gives way to a familiar needle stab in the arm.

Vaccinations are under way, with the prospect of drastically reduced fatalities once people in nursing homes, factories, meatpacking plants and other high-risk situations get the two-shot immunization.

It could not come soon enough.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave Emergency Use Authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Dec. 11, and our reporters were eager to chronicle its arrival in the suburbs. The first shots given to local health care workers came Dec. 17, after ceremonial "first" vaccines two days earlier in Chicago and Peoria.

Illinois' vaccine rollout has hit a few bumps, with news that vaccine shipments through the federal Operation Warp Speed would be half what was expected and some anecdotes about health system executives getting their second doses before some front-line medical workers got their first.

The clamor for vaccination among the upcoming "phase 1b" recipients - a vast group of Illinois essential workers and everyone 65 and over - is growing louder, and details about how they'll get vaccinated are scant.

Reporters Jake Griffin, Marni Pyke, Katlyn Smith and others have become our experts. They are committed to reporting what we know about where phase 1b vaccines will be given out in the coming weeks and how people will be notified. New details emerge almost daily, and we pledge to keep up the coverage you need.

COVID-19 has a big head start, with more than 1 million cumulative cases in Illinois compared to 234,051 vaccines given as of Friday, according to state and federal health officials. But we're hopeful.

Having covered the pandemic every day since its inception in our state, we look forward to reporting the hundreds of stories yet to come chronicling how the COVID-19 era is brought to an end.