Will Co. To Get Limited Supply Of COVID-19 Vaccine First Dose

WILL COUNTY, IL — The county will receive very few doses of vaccine for those who will be getting their first shot over the next three weeks, said Will County Health Department Director of Mass Vaccination Cindy Jackson in a release Thursday.

"During that three-week period, we will receive 6,000 to 10,000 doses of vaccine each week that is allocated for second dose appointments only," she said. "This vaccine shortage has already resulted In our inability to open more vaccination clinics next week, but thankfully, due to planning efforts, it has not resulted in cancelled appointments."

For the past several weeks, WCHD has been asking the Illinois Department of Public Health for more information about COVID-19 vaccine supplies that are on their way. Ever since the first vaccine delivery in December, arrivals of both Pfizer and Moderna vaccine have been very sporadic, with little information about how much is coming and when.

Starting this week, WCHD is now being told three weeks out how much is scheduled to arrive. However, the number of doses is way below what was hoped for, and way below what is needed, the health department said.

Although enough doses are scheduled to arrive for those already having received their first doses to be able to receive their second doses on time, the amount of vaccine allocated for first doses is very low for the next couple of weeks. And for residents who registered on WCHD’s online information form to be contacted for vaccine appointments, this will likely mean more waiting and more frustration.

"With over 181,000 having registered with our online information form, it shows that numerous
Will County residents desire to have the vaccine, and that’s exactly what we wanted all along," said WCHD Executive Director Sue Olenek. "However, with vaccine doses all over the state coming in at much less than hoped for, it’s going to take longer for many on the list to be contacted to make their first appointment."

Prior to this, health department said that it has been receiving a scant more than 2,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine incrementally which is making vaccinating its nearly 700,000 residents a great challenge.

Currently, the health department is working to schedule approximately 100,000 residents over the age of 65 for their first and second doses of the life-saving vaccine and with consistently limited supply deliveries, many residents are scared and frustrated with the delay in receiving the vaccines.

Jackson said the county has administered the fifth highest number of vaccinations in the state, behind the City of Chicago, Cook County, and DuPage and Lake counties, and "we are poised to continue to expand mass vaccination efforts and the transfer of vaccine to partners when the vaccine supply improves."

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