New Waukegan Coronavirus Vaccine Site Can Offer 400 Doses Daily

WAUKEGAN, IL — A new mass vaccination site will open later this week at the community-based testing center in downtown Waukegan, state and local officials announced.

Staff at the new vaccination site at 102 W. Water St. will be able to administer up to 400 jabs a day, according to the governor's office. It will be open to all eligible Illinois residents regardless of ZIP code, with appointments available through Lake County's AllVax online portal.

"This site enhances our equitable distribution of the vaccine in an area especially hard-hit during the pandemic, and shows the great partnership between the Lake County Health Department, City of Waukegan, and Illinois National Guard to bring additional vaccine supply to our region," Lake County Health Department Executive Director Mark Pfister said, in a statement announcing the new site.

Appointments at the site are available starting Thursday for anyone in the Phase 1a, 1b, and 1b+ vaccine priority groups, which includes all residents with underlying health conditions and an expanded number of essential workers.

State public health officials last week gave health departments the option of vaccinating anyone aged 16 and up. And starting April 12, eligibility will expand to all residents aged 16 or over everywhere outside of Chicago, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has announced.

"Over 3.6 million Illinoisans have already received their first dose of vaccine. We're projected to get nearly 1 million doses this week, and IDPH and our 97 local health departments [are] working hard to administer these shots," Pritzker said in a statement.

The seven-day rolling daily average number of vaccination doses administered stood at nearly 104,000 as of Monday, and the announcement of this week's supply indicates it is poised to exceed its peak from 10 days prior.

"However, this battle is far from over, and with new cases and hospitalizations on the rise, I encourage every resident to buckle down, wear your mask, and do your part so we can all power through to the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic," he added.

A total of 16.34 percent of the state's population has been fully inoculated. In Lake County, less than 14 percent have received both doses.

The county trails the state average in its percentage of residents under the age of 65 to have received at least one dose of vaccine but exceeds the statewide average percentage of its population of senior citizens to have received a jab.

The Lake County Health Department officials this week received 2,100 one-dose Johnson & Johnson jabs, which are expected to be administered to residents of senior living facilities, home-bound seniors and residents of subsidized housing by mobile units.

Pritzker also announced two new suburban mass vaccination sites open to all Illinois residents starting Friday.

One will open at the former Carson Pirie Scott, 970 N. Lake St. in Aurora, and be able to administer up to 270 doses a day.

Another has the capacity to administer up to 800 doses a day at the former Toys R Us, 3128 Voyager Lane in Joliet, according to the governor's office.

There are more than 900 vaccination locations in Illinois, according to the governor's office. For those with difficulty navigating the online vaccine locator, there is a vaccine appointment call center available seven days a week from 6 a.m. to midnight to assist. The hotline is 833-621-1284.

Related:
Lake County Gets More Johnson & Johnson Shots
Vaccination Site Opens In North Chicago For Local Seniors
COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments Available For Lake County Seniors
Vaccine Eligibility Opens Up To More Lake County Residents