A new community vaccination site in Des Plaines will be the first large-scale facility to administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Illinois, Cook County Health announced Wednesday.
The health department will open its fourth large-scale vaccination site at 1155 E. Oakton Street in Des Plaines on 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 providing the three FDA-approved vaccines ensures that our residents receive all currently available vaccine options,” said the president of the Cook County Board , Toni Preckwinkle. “The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective in protecting people from serious illness and death. The fact that it is a one-dose vaccine is exciting because it allows people to protect themselves in a only visit ”.
Cook County officials said they expect to provide about 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 statewide large-scale facility administered by 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 7 a.m. to 7 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 Vaccination Guide here.
“This location is indicative of our ongoing commitment to distribute vaccines throughout Cook County in what we expect to be one of the largest vaccine programs in the country,” said Israel Rocha Jr., CEO of Cook County Health. “The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is another tool in our fight against COVID-19 and we are excited to provide our residents with another highly effective vaccine that will help keep people out of the hospital and prevent death.”
More than 18,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are expected to arrive in Cook County on Thursday, according to Wedneday’s health department.
Johnson & Johnson vaccine shipments began Monday and Chicago and Illinois expected to receive an estimated dose count of more than 100,000 by the end of the week.
The Illinois Department of Public Health said doses are expected statewide, with approximately 22,000 planned for Chicago and another 83,000 for the rest of the region.
More than 90% of the newly authorized vaccine will go to mass vaccination sites across the state, with the rest of the doses sent to other providers, officials said. IDPH noted that total doses do not include those going to Chicago, which will receive its own allocation.