A COVID-19 testing center in Wheaton will be converted into a vaccination site as DuPage County builds the infrastructure needed for mass immunization and faces frustration with the vaccine supply overwhelmed by demand.
The DuPage health department next month will move a COVID-19 vaccine clinic from its main office in Wheaton to the county fairgrounds. In preparation for the transition, drive-through testing operations at the fairgrounds will end this week.
The fair grounds will join a growing list of more than 80 vaccination sites across the county.
As seniors and key frontline workers sign up for appointments, the county’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign has led the rest of Illinois. More than 1.6% of the population has been fully vaccinated, second only to rural Stark County in central Illinois.
But the amount of vaccine allocated to DuPage has varied widely from week to week. The state reserved 23,925 doses for the county two weeks after implantation in December – or more than double last week’s allocation.
“Currently, our supply is quite inconsistent and certainly inefficient, but we are constantly advocating at all levels of government to rectify this situation,” said DuPage County Council President Dan Cronin.
The county also formally requested support from the National Guard to speed up vaccinations. To increase urgency, a more contagious coronavirus variant first identified in the UK is emerging in Illinois.
“The understanding so far is that the vaccines we have will still be effective against these viruses,” said Dr. Rashmi Chugh, a medical officer in the county health department.
Executive Director Karen Ayala also sought to assure the public on several fronts during a meeting with county council members on Tuesday, addressing the distribution plans and registration process for the 268,000 people who are now eligible for Phase 1B injections. .
Sign up
Elderly and essential frontline workers must register for the vaccine through a number of channels. Healthcare systems are advising eligible patients to apply directly using their MyChart account. Pharmacy chains and the county health department have online registration portals.
“It is extremely important to be on a list,” said Ayala. “I would encourage people to get on as many lists as possible because it is the same vaccine. It doesn’t matter where you get it.”
So far, 141,000 residents have registered on the health department’s website, Dupagehealth.org. An online form asks for your phone number and email. The county will contact them to schedule an appointment for the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
“When we have clinic availability or any of our partners informs us that they have clinic availability, we can send that information to people,” said Ayala.
Supply problems
Although the number of vaccination sites grew from 16 in late December to 83 on Monday, the distribution of the vaccine has not kept pace. Not all sites have access to vaccines due to a shortage of supplies, Ayala said.
“It is not that the more vaccination sites we have, the more vaccines we will get,” said Ayala in an interview. “We receive a certain number of vaccines weekly and then distribute them to those locations.”
The state health department determines the number of doses that go to DuPage.
“Every week, we receive a different amount of vaccine,” said Ayala. “We have been told over the past four weeks that our supply levels will be consistent or in maintenance mode, but that was not the case.”
The county estimates it will take about three months to vaccinate the 268,000 people in Phase 1B. The county will try to advance to the next wave of inoculations if at least 60% to 70% are vaccinated at the current stage and if the vaccine supply increases.
“What we need to ask for is understanding as we work and address this unpredictable vaccine delivery problem,” said Ayala.