Des Plaines Site Opens this Week By Appointment Only and Will Be the First Johnson & Johnson Site in Illinois

Today, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Health CEO Israel Rocha Jr. were joined by state and local officials to tour Cook County’s fourth large-scale vaccination site at 1155 E. Oakton Street in Des Plaines. This will be the first large-scale vaccination site in Illinois administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Cook County officials expect to provide as many as 3,500 vaccines per day when the Des Plaines site is fully optimized and when adequate vaccine is available.

“This is a critical time in our fight against COVID-19 and providing all three FDA approved vaccines ensures that our residents are afforded every vaccine option currently available,” said President Preckwinkle. “The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been proven to be safe and effective in protecting people against severe illness and death. The fact that it is a one-dose vaccine is exciting as it allows people to protect themselves in just one visit.”

The site will open either Friday, March 5 or Saturday, March 6 pending the arrival of the vaccine to continue Phase 1a and Phase 1b vaccinations. Phase 1b includes individuals age 65 and older and essential workers such as first responders, manufacturing employees and grocery store personnel.

“With our new operations in Des Plaines, Illinois is now operating 11 state-supported mass vaccination sites in Cook County in addition to the soon-to-launch United Center, and the network of more than 800 vaccination locations around the state all trained on one goal: vaccinating as many people as possible, as quickly as possible,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “One in six Illinoisans have already received their first dose of vaccine, and as the federal government increases Illinois’ deliveries to over 100,000 a day later this month, IDPH and our 97 local health departments are prepared to meet the moment. In the meantime, I encourage all Illinoisans to wear their masks and stay vigilant as we power through to the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“We are making progress in delivering the vaccine in a quick and equitable manner thanks to additional supply and better distribution through the federal government. Today’s announcement is a big step forward in protecting communities from the COVID-19 pandemic and building our recovery. I thank Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Health CEO Israel Rocha Jr. for their commitment to getting shots into the arms of those who need it most as quickly as possible,” said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL).

Vaccinations at Des Plaines and other Cook County Health sites are by appointment only. Appointments for Des Plaines will be released at 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 4. Appointments can be made through vaccine.cookcountyil.gov or by calling the hotline at (833) 308-1988 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday – Friday.

“This location is indicative of our ongoing commitment to distribute vaccine across Cook County in what we expect to be one of the largest vaccine programs in the country,” said Israel Rocha Jr., CEO, 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 the hospital and prevent deaths.”

The Des Plaines location was chosen to ensure that Cook County is providing vaccine access in communities that were hit hard by the virus.

“The Northwest Suburbs were exposed to the virus early and areas like Des Plaines have had a particularly high positivity rate. I am thankful that we will have access to a large vaccination site in our community, and look forward to continuing the work toward recovery with County and state partners,” said State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights).

In addition to Cook County Health sites, the Cook County Department of Public Health has distributed vaccines to more than 145 partner locations, including Jewel-Osco, Mariano’s, Walgreens, Federally Qualified Health Centers and hospitals who are also offering vaccines by appointment. A complete listing of these sites can be found at cookcountypublichealth.org. Residents not yet eligible for vaccine can also sign up at vaccine.cookcountyil.gov to receive updates on their phase and for information on dozens of additional vaccination sites across Cook County.

CONTACT:
Caitlin Polochak, Communications Manager
[email protected]
312-519-2769