Information provided by the Governor’s Office
CHICAGO, Ill. (April 14, 2021) –To further expand availability of the COVID-19 vaccine, Governor JB Pritzker announced an additional state mass vaccination site in Matteson that will opened to all eligible Illinois residents on Thursday, April 15. The site is a former Target and is the 12th mass vaccination site located in Cook and the collar counties and is the state’s 21st mass vaccination site open to all eligible Illinois residents. The new site will provide Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
Eligibility
As of April 12, all Illinois residents age 16 and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine with nearly 19,000 residents receiving vaccinations at state mass vaccination sites in the first 24 hours of universal vaccine eligibility. With the state’s seven-day test positivity rate and hospitalizations on the rise, local and state health officials are urging Illinois residents to seek out a vaccination location near them in order to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19.
“In March, we saw COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations increase at an alarming rate,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “There is no doubt that we need to continue to vaccinate as many people as our vaccine supply will allow. I encourage all those who are able to get vaccinated to do so to get us on the other side of this pandemic, allowing us to return to normalcy.”
State vaccinations increasing
Since the vaccine was first made available in Illinois last December, the state has administered nearly 7.5 million doses, with 30% of the population fully vaccinated. Furthermore, 76% of individuals age 65 and over have received at least their first dose of the vaccine.
These successes have been made possible thanks to the tireless efforts of local health departments and the continuous efforts of the Illinois National Guard. To date, there are nearly 1,500 troops assigned to COVID-19 operations in 43 different locations throughout the state.
In addition to the state-supported mass vaccination sites, the men and women of the Illinois National Guard are running additional vaccination missions across the state, furthering the state’s ability to assist specific regions and populations, with more assignments in the coming weeks, including mobile vaccination teams.
How to make an appointment
Information regarding vaccination locations as well as details on how to book an appointment to receive the vaccine can be found at the state’s COVID website, coronavirus.illinois.gov. Residents who don’t have access to or need assistance navigating online services can call the toll-free IDPH hotline at 833-621-1284 to book an appointment. The hotline is open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to midnight with agents available in English and Spanish.
Most state-supported vaccination sites are open to all eligible Illinois residents, regardless of where they live. All state-supported vaccination sites require appointments. Residents must meet the state’s current eligibility requirements to book an appointment. Currently, only the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for those ages 16 and 17.
Related
- Illinois and Indiana pause Johnson & Johnson vaccine rollout (April 13, 2021)
- Suburban Cook to move to universal vaccine eligibility for ages 16+ on April 12 (April 8, 2021)
