SPRINGFIELD - To help improve vaccine equity and accessibility across the state, Governor JB Pritzker announced the deployment of additional Illinois National Guard members to assist with COVID-19 vaccination efforts in Vermilion and DeKalb counties. The state is helping support these local health departments in expanding operations at three local vaccination sites, with combined capacity to administer up to 810 doses per day.
"I'm proud to deploy Illinois National Guard teams and additional state resources to Vermillion and DeKalb counties to ensure local residents are able to receive their vaccines as efficiently and equitably as possible," said Governor JB Pritzker. "One in five Illinoisans have already received their first dose of vaccine, and as the federal government prepares to increase Illinois' deliveries to over 100,000 a day in the coming weeks, 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."
As of March 11, there were more than 1,320 Illinois National Guard service members assisting with COVID-19 response throughout Illinois. Throughout the pandemic, Governor JB Pritzker has called upon the Illinois National Guard as a crucial component of the state's COVID-19 response efforts to assist local health departments with everything from testing to vaccinating. With the mass vaccination sites and the mobile teams, the National Guard is supporting more than 30 vaccination locations each day.
"Local planning and partnerships with NIU have allowed the Health Department to offer several vaccine opportunities for community members. To date, we have been limited with the number of vaccine available for our community, but we know the space allows for capacity of the clinics to expand as we anticipate receiving additional vaccine. We welcome the National Guard to our community to help scale-up our vaccination efforts as vaccine increases in our County," said Lisa Gonzalez, DeKalb County Public Health Administrator.
"We are extremely grateful for these additional resources from the State," said Douglas Toole, Public Health Administrator of the Vermilion County Health Department. "The personnel from the Illinois National Guard and the extra supplies and vaccine from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency will allow us to accomplish in a few weeks what we thought would take us months."
"As an NIU alum and a State Representative I'm proud to see the modern facilities at Northern Illinois University being deployed in the COVID recovery efforts. I thank the Governor for deploying our National Guard to DeKalb to ensure a quick and efficient vaccination rollout for residents in the area. The sooner we get shots in arms the sooner normalcy arrives. I think that excites everyone," said Rep. Keicker (R-Sycamore).
This week marked an important milestone in the state's Mass Vaccination efforts as the Community Vaccination Center opened on Wednesday at the United Center. To date, more than 11,000 vaccinations have been provided at the federal community vaccination center. This pilot program, which is run by the City of Chicago, supported by the State of Illinois and managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is key to the Biden Administration's strategy to focus additional efforts on vulnerable communities.
There are now more than 900 vaccination locations in Illinois open to the public. 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 State Supported Mass Vaccination Sites are open to all Illinois residents, who meet the current eligibility requirements and have an appointment through the local health department.
There is no charge to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Insurance is not required, and the vaccine will be administered regardless of your immigration status. Vaccinations are available only by appointment at this time and residents are encouraged to check back frequently for open appointments. Individuals should sign up for an appointment to receive their second dose while they are getting their first vaccination.
For more information on how to make an appointment to receive the vaccine, updates on the state's plan and eligibility, and answers to frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, go to coronavirus.illinois.gov.
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