Village Has Vaccination Plan Ready: Mayor Baldermann

NEW LENOX, IL — The Village of New Lenox has a vaccination plan in place for the community, as soon as it can get vaccines, Mayor Tim Baldermann said at the Monday night village board meeting.

"We have been in communication with partners at Osco pharmacy as well as our partners at Lincoln-Way and the Will County Health Department," Baldermann said. "We do have a plan that will be in place for vaccinations for our community, once we can get our hands on the supply."

The county health department has tentatively approved the village's plan, Baldermann said.

"The infrastructure will be in place," Baldermann said.

There is no sign-up or other details formalized yet, but Baldermann said the village is prepared when doses are available.

"My hope is that sometime relatively soon we can at least get this process started," he said. "It would probably be limited in number at first."

The state is in Phase 1B of its vaccination plan, which includes residents 65 and older, those who work as first responders, K-12 education workers, food and agriculture, manufacturing, corrections workers and inmates, USPS workers, public transit workers, grocery store workers, and staff at shelters and day cares.

Vaccine eligibility can now be expanded to include adults under 65 with high-risk medical conditions and those with disabilities. Will County Health Department spokesperson Steve Brandy said Will County will not expand vaccine eligibility yet due to a limited amount of the vaccine.

"For that reason, most counties in this area, including Will, will not be able to move on to what is now being called '1B-plus' at this time. We do not have adequate vaccine to do so," he told Patch.

Brandy said the county is still in the "early stages" of phase 1B.

"We hope things change as we move through March. We have all kinds of plans for vaccination locations around Will County, and have the supplies and volunteers to do so. We just need the vaccine," he said.