Illinois will soon launch two new mass vaccination sites, including one in Des Plaines, officials announced Wednesday.
State-sponsored sites will be launched Thursday in both Des Plaines and Quincy, bringing the total number of mass vaccination sites in Illinois to 18. The Des Plaines site, located in a former K-Mart at 1155 E. Oakton St., marks the fourth such site in Cook County and will be what county officials say is the first large-scale facility to administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Illinois.
“The COVID-19 vaccine site in Des Plaines is our last step in vaccinating Cook County and our most vulnerable communities,” Cook County Committee Chairman Toni Preckwinkle said in a statement. “This new site, which is conveniently located for many residents in the northwestern suburbs, will be used in the coming months as we progress in our program and the supply of vaccines increases.”
According to Cook County, the Des Plaines location will open appointments on Thursday afternoon and will begin vaccinating residents on Friday or Saturday, pending the arrival of vaccine doses. For more information on scheduling and availability, click here.
The launch takes place on the same day as the appointments for the next United Center location open to certain eligible residents, with plans to start vaccinations next week.
Both the Des Plaines and Quincy sites will offer nearly 4,000 doses per day combined when at full capacity, officials said.
“With our new operations in Des Plaines and Quincy, Illinois, we now operate 18 state-supported mass vaccination sites, in addition to the network of more than 800 vaccination sites across the country, all trained for one purpose: vaccinating as many people as possible, as soon as possible, “Governor JB Pritzker said in a statement. “One in six in Illinois has already received the first dose of vaccine, and as the federal government increases deliveries in Illinois to more than 100,000 a day later this month, IDPH and the 97 local health departments are ready to deliver.” In the meantime, I encourage all Illinois residents to wear masks and remain vigilant as we move to the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic. ”
Pritzker also announced plans to activate members of the National Guard in Union, Johnson, Pope, Hardin, Alexander, Pulaski and Massac counties.
In addition, Chicago plans to open “new mass vaccination sites in the coming months.”
According to lawyer Aurora Health, a mass vaccination site is being explored at Wrigley Field.
Chicago Public Health Department Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady also said the department was considering hosting a Soldier Field mass vaccination site.
“We are completely ready to raise the mass vaccination sites, but it is about the vaccine,” she said last month.
Pritzker also suggested the possibility for additional locations in Illinois.
Asked if McCormick Place in Chicago could be a future site, Pritzker said that “the opportunity for us to look at other locations is always open.”
To see how you can sign up for a COVID vaccine meeting in Illinois, click here.
An increasing number of mass vaccination sites are following Illinois’ entry into Phase 1B Plus, which has expanded eligibility for Phase 1B vaccinations to include people with certain high-risk medical conditions and comorbidities.
As the state has expanded its Phase 1B, many counties, health departments and hospital systems – including Chicago and Cook County – have said they will not join the rest of Illinois in increasing eligibility, citing a reduced vaccine supply for those who already qualifies.
Previously, in the first iteration, Phase 1B, residents over the age of 65, as well as essential workers qualified to receive the vaccine.
Here’s a look at the mass vaccination sites now launched in Illinois:
| It is opening | Location | Approach | appointment | Dose capacity at maximum capacity |
| Now open | Tinley Park Convention Center | 18451 Convention Center Drive |
https://vaccine.cookcountyil.gov | 2,160 |
| Now open | North Riverside Health Center | 1800 S. Harlem Avenue, North Riverside IL | https://vaccine.cookcountyil.gov | 270 |
| Now open | Morton East School Base Clinic | 2423 S. Austin Blvd, Cicero IL | https://vaccine.cookcountyil.gov | 270 |
| Now open | Robbins Health Center | 13450 S. Kedzie Ave., Robbins IL | https://vaccine.cookcountyil.gov | 135 |
| Now open | Cottage Grove Health Center | 1645 Cottage Grove Ave., Ford Heights IL | https://vaccine.cookcountyil.gov | 135 |
| Now open | Blue Island Health Center | 12757 S. Western Ave., Blue Island IL | https://vaccine.cookcountyil.gov | 270 |
| Now open | Arlington Heights Health Center | 3250 N. Arlington Heights Rd. Arlington Heights IL | https://vaccine.cookcountyil.gov | 270 |
| Now open | Triton College | 2000 5of Ave., River Grove IL | https://vaccine.cookcountyil.gov | 540 |
| Now open | Southern Suburban College | 15800 State St., South Holland IL | https://vaccine.cookcountyil.gov | 540 |
| Now open | Thornton Fractional High School South | 18500 Burnham Ave, Lansing, IL 60438 | https://vaccine.cookcountyil.gov | 270 |
| Now open | Orr Building | Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield IL | http://www.SCDPH.org (217) 210-8801 |
1620 |
| Now open | Belle-Clair Fair Center | 200 S. Belt E # 2650, Belleville IL | https://www.co.st-clair.il.us/departments/health-department | 1080 |
| Now open | Banterra Center | University of Southern Illinois, Carbondale IL | http://www.jchdonline.org/. | 540 |
| Now open | Carbondale Civic Center | Carbondale IL | http://www.jchdonline.org/. | 540 |
| Now open | Winnebago County | 1321 Sandy Hollow Rd., Rockford IL | https://www.wchd.org/ | 1350 |
| Now open | Gateway Convention Center | 1 Gateway Drive., Collinsville IL | https://www.co.madison.il.us/departments/health/index.php | 1350 |
| March 4 | Former K-Mart | 1155 E Oakton St, Des Plaines, IL | https://vaccine.cookcountyil.gov | 1,890 |
| March 4 | Oakley Lindsey Center | 300 Civic Center Plaza, Quincy IL | https://www.adamscountytogether.com/ | 2,100 |
| March 10 | United Center | 1901 W. Madison Street, Chicago IL | https://www.zocdoc.com/vaccine/screener?state=IL | 6,000 |