100K in Will fully vaccinated
Illinois National Guard opens a mass vaccination clinic in Joliet
As new vaccination clinics opened across the area, Will County surpassed having 100,000 residents fully vaccinated.
The Illinois National Guard opened a mass vaccination clinic Thursday in Joliet inside a shuttered Toys R Us store. Will County Health Department officials opened a vaccine clinic March 29 in Monee to make vaccinations more accessible to eastern Will County residents.
“This by far is the best situation we’ve had since the vaccination rollout,” said department spokesman Steve Brandy.
As of Friday, the department’s website reported 102,903 people fully vaccinated and 287,232 doses administered since the roll out began in December.
Will County moved into phase 1B+, which includes those under age 65 with underlying health conditions and essential workers such as restaurant workers, for vaccinations. Gov. J. B. Pritzker announced anyone over age 16 will be eligible beginning April 12.
The health department opened two new vaccination clinics in the past two weeks; one in Wilmington and the other in Monee. The Monee clinic opened March 29 and was expected to deliver about 600 doses each day.
“The Monee clinic is another step in the right direction,” Brandy said. “It’s great to get so many vaccine doses into so many more arms, and the fact that 100,000 people are now totally vaccinated with both doses in another great sign.”
The county also benefited from a mass vaccination site the Illinois Department of Public Health opened Thursday in Joliet. The National Guard brings its own stockpile of vaccine, adding to the total number of doses available, Brandy said. The site is open to anyone in the state and has enough vaccine to deliver 800 doses each day.
Friday, the vaccination site’s second day, saw a steady stream of people from across the region.
“I’m pretty excited,” said Anisha Vasudervan, of Naperville. “We are big believers of science. It’s a historical
moment.”
Many Friday said vaccinations will help further open the state and bring some sense of normalcy to their lives.
Elena Sikorski, a 16-year-old from Tinley Park who works at a restaurant, said she’s hoping the vaccination will help make it easier for her to gather with friends soon and make her summer vacation trip a bit safer.
“It just seemed like the right thing to do,” said Sikorski, who was at the Joliet site with her mother.
Sikorski’s mother, Lisa Quesada, said she heard about the Joliet clinic through a friend who sent her a link for appointments.
“This is the only place we could get an appointment,” she said.
Brandy said it was unclear how long the Illinois National Guard would operate the Joliet clinic, but anticipated it would remain as long as necessary.
The COVID-19 Justice and Equity for Will County Campaign also held a vaccine clinic Thursday in Joliet focused on Black and Latino essential workers who live in areas hardest hit by the virus.
County health officials have come under fire by some advocacy groups for the slow progress in vaccinating people of color and those living in areas hardest hit.
For more information about available vaccination clinics or appointments in Will County, go to willcountyhealth.org/ or www.dph. illinois.gov.
VNA Health Care and The Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project will launch a COVID-19 vaccination campaign Monday, #VaccinateWill!, developed to improve vaccination access for vulnerable populations.
Linnea Windel, president and CEO of VNA Health Care, said they are thrilled by the partnership “after a year in which we have not only seen extraordinary challenges and loss, but also courage and resilience.”
Ongoing COVID-19 testing and vaccination services are provided by VNA at clinics, community events and homes in Will, Kane and Du-Page counties. For more information, go to www.vnahealth.com.