The Tinley Park Convention Center is now open as a site for mass vaccination against coronavirus in Illinois, state officials announced.
The center, located at 18451 Convention Center Drive, opened on Tuesday as an Illinois National Guard mass vaccination site in Cook County, according to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
Pritzker, accompanied by Cook County Council President Toni Preckwinkle, visited the new site on Monday, when the state entered Phase 1B of its vaccine launch, opening doses for millions of residents.
“The widespread vaccination sites will allow us to deliver these life-saving doses of vaccine to residents of Illinois quickly and efficiently, as more federal vaccine shipments go online,” said Pritzker in a statement. “The Illinois National Guard and the Illinois Department of Public Health are proud to partner with Cook County to launch the Tinley Park Convention Center Vaccination Site – our seventh collaboration in Cook County overall, with many others appearing in the state. “
Appointments are mandatory, according to the village of Tinley Park, which states that appointments can only be made through state and county websites. They can be booked through Cook County’s newly launched vaccines website or by calling (833) 308-1988.
For a complete view of how to make an appointment or receive information about the vaccine in your area, click here.
“This first major site in Southland is indicative of our commitment to distribute the vaccine in an equitable manner, but we expect demand to outweigh supply quickly,” said Israel Rocha, CEO of Cook County Health, in a statement. “It is essential for people to understand that, although we are eager to vaccinate everyone who wants to be vaccinated, the supply of the vaccine remains the biggest limiting factor. We are asking Cook County residents for their continued patience as we work to drive one of the largest county-operated vaccine programs in the country. “
County officials expect to be able to administer up to 3,000 vaccines per day “when the Tinley Park location is fully optimized and when the right vaccine is available”.
As of Tuesday, seven mass vaccination sites will have been opened in the suburban Cook district. (Full list of locations here)
The county said it plans to open at least five additional large sites in the suburbs in the coming weeks, but that will depend on the availability of the vaccine.
Phase 1B, which started Monday, started vaccinations for people aged 65 and over, as well as “essential frontline workers”, which includes first responders, educators such as teachers and support staff, daycare centers, grocery workers , postal workers and More.
In addition to the Tinley Park site, several Walgreens and Jewel-Osco sites have also started vaccinations or opened consultations for Illinois residents eligible for Phase 1B vaccine launch in the state.
The Illinois Department of Public Health launched a website for qualified residents to find vaccination events and make appointments.
The governor said that current vaccination sites in the state are available by appointment only, but that the state plans to launch vaccination posts in the coming weeks.
“As the federal supply of vaccines increases and Illinois receives more vaccines, the state will launch transit locations and expand locations for additional providers, such as doctor’s offices and urgent care clinics,” the governor’s office said in a statement Monday. -market. “More information about these locations will be released in the coming weeks.”