A new mass vaccination site set to open in Des Plaines by this weekend, becoming the first large-scale facility to administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Illinois, began taking appointments Thursday afternoon.
The Cook County Health Department will open its fourth large-scale vaccination site at 1155 E. Oakton St. in Des Plaines on either Friday or Saturday, pending vaccine arrival, according to a release.
Residents could begin making required appointments at the new location at 1 p.m. Thursday. Appointments can be made from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday at vaccine.cookcountyil.gov or by calling (833) 308-1988.
For a look at how you can sign up for a COVID vaccine appointment in Illinois, click here.
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Cook County officials said they expect to provide nearly 3,500 doses per day once the vaccination site is "fully optimized" and vaccine is available. Officials noted the Des Planes site will be the first large-scale facility statewide to administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“This is a critical time in our fight against COVID-19 and providing all three FDA approved vaccines ensures that our residents are afforded every vaccine option currently available,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said. “The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been proven to be safe and effective in protecting people against severe illness and death. The fact that it is a one-dose vaccine is exciting as it allows people to protect themselves in just one visit.”
Over 18,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are set to arrive in Cook County Thursday, the health department said Wedneday.
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Johnson & Johnson vaccine shipments began Monday, with Chicago and Illinois expecting to receive an estimated dose count above 100,000 by the end of the week.
The Illinois Department of Public Health said doses are expected across the state, with roughly 22,000 planned for Chicago and another 83,000 for the remaining regions.
More than 90% of the newly authorized vaccine will go to mass vaccination sites throughout the state, with the remaining doses shipped to other providers, officials said. IDPH noted that the total doses does not include those going to Chicago, which will receive its own allocation.
In addition to the Des Plaines appointments, more than 100,000 appointments for seniors also opened Thursday morning for the upcoming United Center, with plans to begin vaccinations next week.
Illinois announced the launch of the Des Plaines site Wednesday, along with another location set to open in Quincy.
“With our new operations in Des Plaines and Quincy, Illinois is now operating 18 state-supported mass vaccination sites in addition to the network of more than 800 vaccination locations around the state all trained on one goal: vaccinating as many people as possible, as quickly as possible,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. “One in six Illinoisans have already received their first dose of vaccine, and as the federal government increases Illinois’ deliveries to over 100,000 a day later this month, IDPH and our 97 local health departments are prepared to meet the moment. In the meantime, I encourage all Illinoisans to wear their masks and stay vigilant as we power through to the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
