SCDPH is running vaccination clinics in its building and in drive-thrus seven days per week. In December the first high-risk priority groups, health care personnel, all hospital staff and anyone working or residing in long-term care facilities were encouraged to participate in vaccine clinics. They are designated group 1a. Sangamon County announced people aged 65 and older and frontline essential workers like firefighters, grocery workers and educators could begin scheduling immunization appointments on Jan. 18. They are in what s deemed group 1b. But vaccination appointments in Sangamon County are full through Feb. 1. For those belonging to groups 1a or 1b looking to receive the vaccine, updates can be found on the Sangamon County Dept. of Public Health website or the county s Facebook page. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are given in two doses, the first being administered 21 days apart and the latter 28.
/ MyRadioLink.com
For Immediate Release – January 26, 2021
Hy-Vee Pharmacies Partnering with Illinois to Provide COVID-19 Vaccinations
SPRINGFIELD – The State of Illinois is now partnering with Hy-Vee pharmacies across central and northern Illinois to offer coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccinations to eligible individuals. Hy-Vee has 16 locations in Bloomington, Canton, Galesburg, Hamilton, Milan, Moline, Macomb, Peoria, Peru, Rock Island, Silvis, Springfield, and Sycamore and estimates being able to provide up to 200 vaccinations each day.
HyVee
• Vaccinations begin Wednesday, January 27, 2021
• Monday-Friday: 7am – 7pm and Saturday-Sunday: 9am – 5pm (most locations)
The State of Illinois is also partnering with Walgreens and Jewel-Osco pharmacies to provide COVID-19 vaccinations. A total of 92 Walgreens locations and 92 Jewel-Osco locations have been added to the coronavirus.illinois.gov website, where you can find links to schedule an appointment.
The public s confusion and frustration over scheduling COVID-19 vaccinations have health officials working on ways to streamline the process.
A text messaging service is one way Sangamon County officials plan to get the word out about available appointments for the vaccine.
Health officials in surrounding counties are using a variety of methods to reach the public on the issue and sometimes finding themselves overwhelmed. Counties aren t all focusing on the same age groups for the limited supplies of vaccine they have received, and state officials say it s unknown when supplies will become more plentiful.
Online comments indicate the public is frustrated by the relatively small number of vaccine doses at local health departments at a time when the nation s public health infrastructure is trying to respond to the global pandemic.