Cook County will release a new block of vaccination appointments as Illinois focuses on getting younger populations vaccinated as cases rise.
Whether you're looking for a vaccine, waiting for your turn, hoping to help loved ones or just trying to make sense of it all, here's a breakdown of the latest vaccine news from across the state.
(Note: If you can't find a place near you in the updates below, click here for a complete guide of where you can sign up for the COVID vaccine in Illinois)
Chicago to Host Vaccination Clinic at Loretto Hospital After Pausing Doses During Controversy
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Weeks after Chicago first cut off vaccine supply to the West Side's Loretto Hospital, the city has announced a new vaccination event at the facility for area residents.
The Chicago Department of Public Health said it will open a city-managed vaccination clinic at Loretto Hospital beginning April 21 for residents of the Austin neighborhood. Read more here.
Illinois to Host Vaccination Days for College Students
With young people driving the increase in COVID-19 cases in Illinois, the state plans to host “College Vaccination Days” to "encourage all community college and public and private university students across Illinois to get vaccinated at mass vaccination sites." The events start this weekend and continue through next week at state-supported mass vaccination sites where appointments will be available for college and university students.
The following mass vaccination sites will have appointments available specifically for college and university students on the following days. Colleges and universities will have the links where students can register for an appointment.
| Saturday April 17 | Adams County – Oakley Linsey Center | 300 Civic Center Plaza Quincy |
| Sunday April 18 | Kane County Former Carson Pirie Scott | 970 North Lake St. Aurora |
| Kane County Elgin Eastside Recreation Center | 1800 E. Chicago St. Elgin | |
| Kane County Former Sam’s Club | 501 N. Randall Rd. Batavia | |
| Madison County – Gateway Convention Center | 1 Gateway Drive Collinsville | |
| Sangamon County Orr Building – State Fairgrounds | 801 E. Sangamon Ave. Springfield | |
| St. Clair County Belle-Clair Fairgrounds | 200 S. Belt East Belleville | |
| Winnebago County Former K-Mart | 1321 Sandy Hollow Rd. Rockford | |
| Monday April 19 | Cook County Arlington Heights Health Center | 3250 N. Arlington Heights Rd. Arlington Heights |
| Cook County Former K-Mart | 1155 E. Oakton St. Des Plaines | |
| Cook County Forest Park - Former HOBO | 7600 Roosevelt Rd. Forest Park | |
| Cook County Matteson – Former Target | 4647 Promenade Way Matteson | |
| Cook County South Suburban College | 15800 State St. South Holland | |
| Cook County Tinley Park Convention Center | 18451 Convention Center Drive Tinley Park | |
| Cook County Triton College | 2000 5th Ave. River Grover | |
| Tuesday April 20 | DuPage County Fairgrounds Building 1 | 2015 Manchester Rd. Wheaton |
| Grundy County Shabbona Middle School | 725 School St. Morris | |
| Lake County Lake County Fairgrounds | 1060 E. Peterson Rd. Grayslake | |
| Will County Former Toys R Us | 3128 Voyager Lane Joliet |
Cook County Health to Release 10,000 COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments Friday
The Cook County Health department announced it will release approximately 10,000 first-dose COVID-19 vaccination appointments on Friday.
According to a press release, the appointments will be made available to the public at 12 p.m. on Friday. Appointments can be made at vaccine.cookcountyil.gov or by calling (833) 308-1988 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, or from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays. Read more here.
Flossmoor to Hold Vaccination Event Saturday at Village Hall
The Village of Flossmoor is partnering with Emerge MedStaffing to hold a COVID-19 vaccination event from 3-8 p.m. Saturday at the Flossmoor Village Hall, located at 2800 Flossmoor Rd.
Attendees will receive the Moderna vaccine, meaning only those 18 or older can get vaccinated at the event. Second doses will be administered May 15. An estimated 300 doses are available for the event. Sign up here.
Elmhurst to Host Vaccination Event Friday for Residents
Elmhurst is partnering with Jewel-Osco and Elmhurst University to host a vaccination event for all residents on Friday. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Elmhurst University in Faganel Hall (221 Walter St., Elmhurst) located on Walter St. and Prospect Ave. The site will offer 600 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, with second doses being give on May 7 at the same location.
To schedule your appointment, visit: https://kordinator.mhealthcoach.net/vcl/1618363944434
Chicago Announces Vaccine Changes Due to J&J Pause
Chicago paused use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine, the city said Tuesday, leading to the suspension or cancellation of several events.
As part of the changes, Chicago State University will switch to Pfizer vaccines and the United Center will continue offering Pfizer, with appointments resuming on April 20. The Protect Chicago Homebound program will also switch to Pfizer, with appointments resuming Friday, following a temporary halt.
Events scheduled with Walgreens as part of the Faith Month initiative will use the Pfizer vaccine this weekend and the Chicago Federation of Labor vaccination site will change to Pfizer and Moderna, but will be limited to 1,200 doses per week. Appointments will resume April 19.
Events with the Illinois Restaurant Association are on hold until the week of April 26 and the O’Hare vaccination site that had been using J&J will not re-open. Anyone with a previously scheduled appointment will be invited for vaccination at Wright College or United Center.
Chicago Opens New Vaccination Site on City's South Side
Chicago opened a new vaccination site involving the Pfizer vaccine on April 13 at Apostolic Faith Church at 3823 S Indiana Ave. Vaccinations at the site are by appointment only and will be offered from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, with an average of 250 doses being administered per day.
Currently, the site is open to eligible Chicago residents who live in any of the following ZIP codes: 60617, 60619, 60620, 60621, 60628, 60633, 60636, 60643, 60649, 60655, and 60827. Eligible Chicagoans can visit https://events.juvare.com/il-idph/htb3c/ or call (312) 746-4835 to schedule an appointment. Proof of residency will be required.
Kane County Looking for Vaccine Clinic Volunteers
Kane County is looking for volunteers for its mass vaccination clinics in Batavia, Aurora and Elgin.
Interested volunteers can go to the Kane County Health Department website and click on the Kane County MRC logo at the bottom of the page. There, additional information and a link to a fillable application form can be found. Applications should be sent to kaneMRC@co.kane.il.us.
New Large-Scale COVID Vaccination Site Opens in Southern Cook County
A new large-scale community COVID vaccination site launched in southern Cook County Wednesday for all residents ages 16 and older.
The new site in Matteson, located at 4647 Promenade Way, opened at 1 p.m. Wednesday to all state residents ages 16 and older. Details here.
Kane County Reschedules Some Vaccines After J&J Pause
Kane County canceled two vaccine events Tuesday as the city and state both pause administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following a recommendation from U.S. regulators.
In Aurora, a state-run mass vaccination site located 970 N. Lake St. was canceled and in Elgin, a vaccination location at 1080 E. Chicago St. was also canceled. Anyone who had appointments for both locations will be rescheduled for a Pfizer dose on April 20. Read more here.
Illinois Allocating 50K First Doses to Chicago Over the Next Week
After Illinois and Chicago both paused use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine amid a federal review on Tuesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the state will allocate 50,000 first doses of the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to Chicago over the next seven days. The state will then allocate another 50,000 doses in time for second shots to be administered, Pritzker said.
Lake County to Open New Vaccine Site in Round Lake Beach
The Lake County Health Department will open a new COVID-19 vaccination site on April 20 in Round Lake Beach. The new site, located at 400 E Rollins Rd (the former K-Mart Supercenter) will offer free appointment-based COVID-19 vaccinations to those who live or work in Lake County and are at least 16 years old. The facility will have a peak capacity of 5,000 vaccinations per day, making it the largest vaccination site in the county, the health department said.
Appointments can be made for vaccinations Tuesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at cur.tv/lakeco.
Walgreens, Jewel-Osco Suspend Use of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Following Federal Recommendation
Walgreens and Jewel-Osco are suspending the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine until further notice, the companies announced Tuesday, following federal officials' recommendation.
Both companies said workers are reaching out to patients to reschedule appointments using either Pfizer or Moderna vaccine manufacturers. Osco added that appointments are added to the online scheduler as doses become available. Read more here.
Lake County Fairgrounds COVID Vaccine Site Expanding Capacity, Eliminating Drive-Through Appointments
The Lake County Fairgrounds mass vaccination site is transitioning to a walk-through model beginning Monday as it looks to expand capacity, officials said. The change will allow for at least 2,500 daily vaccinations, up from the current 1,500.
The Fairgrounds site provides all three currently authorized vaccines—Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson—depending on the current supply available. More info here.
Johnson & Johnson Vaccine and Blood Clots: Symptoms to Watch For, Who is at Risk
What are the symptoms you should watch for if you received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine prior to U.S. regulators recommending a “pause” to investigate reports of potentially dangerous blood clots known as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, or CVST?
To learn more about what you should watch for, click here.
Illinois COVID Vaccine Eligibility Opens: Here's What You Need to Know
Illinois COVID vaccine eligibility expanded to anyone age 16 and older, except for in the city of Chicago, on Monday. For a look at what you need to know, click here.
What Makes You More Likely to Get Side Effects From COVID Vaccine?
Side effects are possible after receiving either one or two doses of any of the three coronavirus vaccines currently being administered in the U.S., but not everyone experiences them.
So what makes someone more likely to experience them than others? Read more here.
Peoria, McLean Counties to Receive Additional COVID Vaccines, Resources Amid Surge in Cases
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office announced Tuesday that six Illinois counties, including Peoria and McLean counties, will receive additional doses of the coronavirus vaccine, along with other resources as COVID cases surge in several parts of the state. Those Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses will be delivered by “rapid response vaccination teams,” comprised of members of the Illinois National Guard and other health professionals. More info here.
Chicago COVID Vaccine Eligibility Will Open to All Adults by Biden's April 19 Deadline
Chicago will open COVID vaccine eligibility to all residents age 16 and older by President Joe Biden's deadline on April 19, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday.
"We will meet that deadline," Lightfoot said at a news conference following Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to a mass vaccination site in Chicago. Read more here.
Can You Take Tylenol, Ibuprofen With the COVID Vaccine?
Whether preparing for the COVID-19 vaccine or enduring side effects, officials provided guidance on taking various over-the-counter medications.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people talk to their doctors about taking over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, or antihistamines, for any pain and discomfort after getting vaccinated. The CDC does not recommend, however, that people take such over-the-counter medications or antihistamines to prevent side effects prior to receiving the coronavirus vaccine. Read more here.
COVID Vaccine Side Effects: Why Do Some Get Them and What Does it Mean?
Side effects are possible after receiving either one or two doses of any of the three coronavirus vaccines currently being administered in the U.S., but not everyone experiences them. So what causes the side effects and what does it mean if you get them when others don't?
Getting Your Second Dose of the COVID Vaccine? Here's What You Should Know
If you're awaiting your second shot of the coronavirus vaccine, chances are you've got some questions. What are the side effects and when are you likely going to experience them? How long do you have to wait until you are fully vaccinated?
Here's a look at what you should know.
For a look at how to sign-up for vaccinations in Illinois click here.
