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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 St. in Des Plaines on Friday or Saturday, pending the arrival of vaccines, according to a statement.
“This is a critical time in our fight against COVID-19 and the provision of the three vaccines approved by the FDA guarantees our residents all of the vaccine options currently available,” said Cook County Council Chairman Toni Preckwinkle . “The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective in protecting people against serious illness and death. The fact that this is a single dose vaccine is exciting because it allows people to protect themselves in one visit. “
Cook County officials said they plan to deliver nearly 3,500 doses per day once the vaccination site is “fully optimized” and the vaccine becomes available. Officials noted that the Des Planes site is the first large-scale facility in the state to administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Residents can start making appointments for the coronavirus vaccine at the new location Thursday at 1 p.m. Appointments can be made from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday at vaccine.cookcountyil.gov or in 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 a testament to our continued commitment to distribute vaccines in Cook County in what we expect to be one of the largest immunization 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 hospital and prevent deaths. “
More than 18,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are expected to arrive in Cook County on Thursday, the health department said.
Johnson & Johnson vaccine shipments began on Monday, with Chicago and Illinois expecting to receive an estimated number of doses of more than 100,000 by the end of the week.
The Illinois Department of Public Health said doses are expected statewide, with about 22,000 scheduled for Chicago and another 83,000 for the remaining regions.
More than 90% of the newly licensed vaccine will go to mass vaccination sites statewide, with the remaining doses being shipped to other suppliers, officials said. The IDPH noted that the total doses do not include those going to Chicago, which will receive its own allocation.
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