OSF HealthCare has administered just over 4,000 first doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the past three weeks in the Tri-County region, according to Nursing Director Sarah Overton.
The OSF began vaccinating patients in mid-January in category 1B that includes people 65 and older. Overton said nearly 100% of those patients in Peoria County have received an invitation to the appointment with the vaccine.
“So now we’re pivoting into second doses, which means we need to have the ability to bring in everyone we just vaccinated and also keep up with our assignment,” Overton said.
County health departments grant these allocations to vaccination sites and depend on distribution at the state and federal levels.
OSF patient Doug Mooney said he was relieved to have the opportunity to receive his first vaccination.
“Well, it’s been a long time, so once they called, we’re here,” Mooney said.
Lisabeth Pongracz, who manages the OSF vaccination facility in Peoria, said the vaccination process usually takes 20 minutes. Patients arrive at a scheduled appointment and are registered and monitored prior to vaccination. After receiving the shot, patients stay on site to make a brief observation before scheduling a follow-up visit and then leave.
Pongracz said the clinic currently administers about 500 vaccines a day. He credited staff and volunteers for overcoming initial challenges to increase resources and accommodation to cope with the influx of patients.
“Now that we have the vaccine and we distribute it … there is a lot of light at the end of the tunnel and we see it every day for the patients,” Pongracz said.
UnityPoint Health and Heartland Health Services are also conducting COVID-19 vaccines for 1B populations by appointment in the Tri-County area. Several commercial pharmacies, including HyVee, Walgreens and Kroger, also offer vaccines for those currently eligible.
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