The state of Illinois added three new mass vaccination sites, officials announced Wednesday, as the state aims to "provide the COVID-19 vaccine to all eligible Illinois residents in an equitable manner."
The new locations will be located in central and southern Illinois, in an effort to bring vaccine to "rural and underserved communities."
Two vaccination sites will open Friday in Carbondale and one site will offer vaccine doses in Springfield beginning Wednesday, the state announced.
The locations include:
| February 19 | Banterra Center | Southern Illinois University, Carbondale IL | http://www.jchdonline.org/ | Up to 540 doses per day |
| February 19 | Carbondale Civic Center | Carbondale IL | http://www.jchdonline.org/ | Up to 540 doses per day |
| February 17 | Orr Building | Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield IL | http://www.SCDPH.org (217) 210-8801 | Up to 1,620 doses per day |
The state also plans to deploy Illinois National Guard mobile vaccination teams to sites in Sangamon and Jackson Counties.
According to the state, the new mass vaccination sites can administer a combined 2,700 doses daily.
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The Springfield site and the combined Carbondale sites will each begin with an estimated 4,000 doses per week, with plans to increase alongside federal shipments.
“My administration remains committed to administering the COVID-19 vaccine in an efficient and equitable manner which is why I’m pleased to announce these three new mass vaccination sites as well as multiple mobile vaccination sites in central and southern Illinois communities. These resources will be available to assist local health departments in administering the vaccine, a critical tool in combating this deadly virus,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. “While supply remains limited across the nation, here in Illinois we are building out a robust vaccine infrastructure to ensure we can reach all of our residents as quickly as possible. As Illinois and other states across the nation await additional vaccine supply from the federal government, every Illinoisan can continue do their part to fight this virus by following public health guidance and getting vaccinated when it is their turn to do so.”
As of Monday, more than 800 Illinois National Guard service members had been activated to assist with COVID-19 response in Illinois.
The newest sites bring the total number of vaccination locations in Illinois to more than 850. Already, mass vaccination sites have opened at the Tinley Park Convention Center in Cook County and the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds and Expo Center in St. Clair County.
"While the state is working to increase the number of vaccines administered daily, it is limited by the amount of vaccine available and allocated by the federal government," the governor's office said in a release.
Last week, more than 300 new COVID-19 vaccination sites were added in a single day, health officials announced, with hundreds more Walgreens stores across the state and some CVS locations now administering vaccinations.
For a complete look at where and how you can make an appointment in Illinois or where you can receive vaccine information for your area, click here.
More than 3.2 million of the state's residents are eligible for vaccinations under Phase 1B, which includes people age 65 years and older as well as "frontline essential workers."
The state will expand the list of people eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations in Phase 1B of its rollout, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday, opening up vaccinations to people with "a high-risk medical condition" or comorbidity to be vaccinated. The list includes those with cancer, diabetes, obesity, women who are pregnant, and those with several other conditions.
Current vaccination sites in the state are available by appointment only, but the state plans to launch walk-in locations in the coming weeks, officials previously said.
