A new community vaccination site in Des Plaines will be the first large-scale unit to administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Illinois, Cook County Health said Wednesday.
The Department of Health will open its fourth large-scale vaccination site at 1155 E. Oakton St. from Des Plaines either Friday or Saturday, pending the arrival of the vaccine, according to a statement.
“This is a critical time in our fight against COVID-19, and offering all three FDA-approved vaccines ensures that our residents are offered every vaccine option currently available,” said Cook County Council President Toni Preckwinkle. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective in protecting people from severe illness and death. The fact that it is a single dose vaccine is interesting because it allows people to protect themselves in a single visit. ”
Cook County officials said they expect to deliver nearly 3,500 doses a day once the vaccination site is “fully optimized” and the vaccine is available. Officials noted that the Des Planes site is the first large-scale statewide unit to administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Residents can begin appointments for the coronavirus vaccine at the new location on Thursday at 1 p.m. Appointments can be made from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at vaccine.cookcountyil.gov or by calling (833) 308-1988.
For more information on how to sign up for a coronavirus vaccine in Illinois, visit the NBC 5 immunization guide here.
“This location is indicative of our continued commitment to distributing the vaccine in Cook County in what we expect to be one of the largest immunization programs in the country,” said Israel Rocha Jr., CEO, Cook County Health. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is another tool in our fight against COVID-19 and we are excited to offer our residents another highly effective vaccine that will help keep people out of the hospital and prevent death. ”
More than 18,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine are due to arrive in Cook County on Thursday, Wedneday’s health department said.
Johnson & Johnson vaccine shipments began Monday, with Chicago and Illinois expecting to receive an estimated dose of more than 100,000 by the end of the week.
The Illinois Department of Public Health said doses are expected statewide, with about 22,000 planned for Chicago and another 83,000 for the remaining regions.
More than 90 percent of the newly authorized vaccine will go to mass vaccination sites across the state, with the remaining doses shipped to other providers, officials said. IDPH noted that the total doses do not include those going to Chicago, which will receive its own allocation.