DuPage County Among Top 2 Percent Of Highest Vaccinated Counties

DUPAGE COUNTY, IL — DuPage County has one of the highest percentages of residents vaccinated against COVID-19 with at least one dose – the county ranks among the top 2 percent nationwide, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As of July 7, over 80 percent of eligible residents 12 years and older have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose – including 98 percent of residents ages 65 years and older – while 64 percent have been fully vaccinated, including 82 percent of those 65 years and older, according to a news release from the DuPage County Health Department (DCHD). That puts the county at rank No. 47 out of 3,283 counties.

"With so many residents vaccinated against COVID-19, the spread of this deadly virus has remained relatively low throughout the county," DCHD Karen Ayala said in a statement. “We are confident that vaccination not only prevents people from getting sick, it also prevents the spread of COVID-19 and saves lives."

Ayala said the department continues to urge its eligible residents, visitors and workers to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves, their families and their community.

"Currently, COVID-19 community transmission in DuPage County remains at a 'moderate' level. Still, individuals who are not fully vaccinated or are immunocompromised should continue practicing preventive measures as they are at a greater risk of contracting the more transmissible variants, some of which are more likely to lead to severe outcomes," the news release said. "As the more dangerous Delta variant is rapidly spreading in the United States and Illinois, there is an increasing urgency for people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to help protect themselves and others."

The DuPage COVID-19 Community Vaccination Clinic at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton continues to welcome walk-ins Thursday through Saturday. Visitors are encouraged to save time by preregistering, and hours can be found at dupagehealth.org/covid19vaccineclinic.

Any county residents who are homebound or who cannot safely leave their residence to visit a vaccination clinic can be vaccinated through the health department's homebound vaccination program, the news release said. They can register at dupagehealth.org/covid19vaccineregistration, or call(630) 682-7400 for assistance.

Beginning Friday, the DCHD will transition from daily to weekly issuing of COVID-19 case count news releases and dashboard updates, the news release said. The updates will occur on Fridays.