COVID-19 News Update
OCTOBER 22, 2021
Covid-19 Vaccine:
Booster Dose
Covid-19 Vaccine:
Third Dose FOR IMMUNOCOMPROMISED
COVID-19 VACCINE:
BOOSTER DOSES
Moderna
Booster Dose
WHO IS ELIGIBLE:
- Individuals 65 of age and older
- Individuals 18+ who live in long-term care settings
- Individuals 18+ who have underlying medical conditions
- Individuals 18+ who live in high-risk settings
- Individuals 18+ who work in high-risk settings
- First responders
- Education staff
- Food and agriculture workers
- Manufacturing workers
- Corrections workers
- U.S. Postal Service workers
- Public transit workers
- Grocery store workers
DOSAGE:
½ dose
WHEN ARE YOU ELIGIBLE:
At least six-months after the initial two-dose series was administered
WANT TO SWITCH BRANDS?
Yes, you can receive a single booster dose of Moderna as long as you completed a one or two-dose series with a different COVID-19 vaccine.
Pfizer
Booster Dose
WHO IS ELIGIBLE:
- Individuals 65 of age and older
- Individuals 18+ who live in long-term care settings
- Individuals 18+ who have underlying medical conditions
- Individuals 18+ who live in high-risk settings
- Individuals 18+ who work in high-risk settings
- First responders
- Education staff
- Food and agriculture workers
- Manufacturing workers
- Corrections workers
- U.S. Postal Service workers
- Public transit workers
- Grocery store workers
DOSAGE:
Full Dose
WHEN ARE YOU ELIGIBLE:
At least six-months after the initial two-dose series was administered
WANT TO SWITCH BRANDS?
Yes, you can receive a single booster dose of Pfizer as long as you completed a one or two-dose series with a different COVID-19 vaccine.
Johnson & Johnson
Booster Dose
Individuals 18 years and older
DOSAGE:
Full Dose
WHEN ARE YOU ELIGIBLE:
At least two-months after a single dose primary vaccination was administered
WANT TO SWITCH BRANDS?
Yes, you can receive a single booster dose of Johnson & Johnson as long as you completed a two-dose series with a different COVID-19 vaccine.
We will begin to administer boosters for Moderna and J&J starting October 25th.
COVID-19 VACCINE:
THIRD DOSE
FOR IMMUNOCOMPROMISED
Third COVID-19 Vaccine Doses for People who are Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised.
A Third dose is NOT a booster dose!
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for both the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine to allow a third dose to be administered to people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised following a primary mRNA vaccine series.
Subsequently, CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems receive a third dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 weeks after their second dose, for a total of three doses. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky endorsed those recommendations. See the full CDC Media Statement here.Â
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR A THIRD DOSE OF COVID-19 VACCINE?
Currently, CDC is recommending that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose. This includes people who have:
- Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
- Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
- Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
- Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
- Advanced or untreated HIV infection
- Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response
If your condition or medication isn’t on this list and you think you have a weakened immune system, talk to your healthcare provider about your medical condition and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate.
Individuals can self-attest and receive the third dose wherever vaccines are offered. This will help ensure there are not additional barriers to access for this vulnerable population receiving a needed third dose.
WHEN ARE YOU ELIGIBLE
The third dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine should be the same vaccine as the initial series and administered at least four weeks after completing a primary mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series.
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR IMMUNOCOMPROMISED INDIVIDUALS
While vaccination is likely to increase protection in this population, even after vaccination, people who are immunocompromised should continue follow current prevention measures (including wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others they do not live with, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces) to protect themselves and those around them against COVID-19 until advised otherwise by their healthcare provider.
Contact Tracing
Contact Tracing is being used by all 97 local health departments and IDPH Surge Center to slow the spread of COVID-19.Â
Contact tracing involves:
- Reaching out to people with COVID-19 to identify everyone they had close contact with during the time they may have been infectiousÂ
- Notifying contacts of their potential exposureÂ
- Referring those contacts for testingÂ
- Monitoring contacts for signs and symptoms of COVID-19Â
- Connecting contacts with services they might need to remain at home during the self-quarantine periodÂ
COVID CONTACT:
1-312-777-1999
- The number listed above is the phone number for all contact tracing calls across the state of Illinois.
- Please answer their calls or return their calls in a timely manner so we can all help to slow the spread of COVID-19.
- The system is programmed to match the phone number of an incoming call to a specific case record so the caller can be routed to the assigned Case Owner in the virtual calling system. Â
Vaccinations
By ZIP Code
IDPH is working with providers across the state to keep local governments and citizens updated on the latest COVID-19 numbers.Â
Recently IDPH has created a page on their site that shows the most recently reported vaccination numbers by ZIP code. Data is available by one dose administered and by persons fully vaccinated. Data is updated weekly on Wednesdays and is provisional.
Click a link below to schedule your first dose vaccine online.
Second dose appointments will be made at time of the first dose appointment. If you need to schedule a second dose appointment, you must call 815-774-7386.
PFIZER HAS FULL FDA APPROVAL FOR THOSE AGES 16+
The Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for people 16 and up, making it the first to move beyond emergency use status in the United States.
Schedule an Appointment Online or Call to Schedule your Vaccination at a Will County Health Department Vaccination Clinic.
815-774-7386
Next Up For Vote
Pfizer Authorization for 5 – 11 year olds
Steps Prior to Rollout for this age group:
– October 26: FDA meeting to vote
– November 2-3: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting to vote
What Happens Next?
– If the vaccine receives approval, Will County will work with local school districts and pediatricians to distribute the vaccine.
COVID-19 Delta Variant Cases Continue to Rise.
Why Wait?
Schedule your vaccine today to Stop the Spread of the Delta Variant!
Steps Already Taken to Combat Delta in Illinois:
Vaccinations required for all state employees at congregate facilities, in addition to mandates by private employers
Masks required in all public indoor spaces
County Level COVID-19 Risk Metrics
Hospital Resource and COVID Patient Data
County Level COVID-19 Community Transmission Data
Cases: 7 Day Total
855
Cases: Total Per 100K
123.78
Positivity Rate
3.01%
Pop-Up Vaccine Clinics
Amazon Hiring Event
23257 Central Avenue, University Park
October 27th from 9am to 4pm
Pop-Up COVID-19 Vaccination Event Request
Do you want to host a Pop-Up COVID-19 Vaccination Event?
VACCINES FOR HOMEBOUND
Do you know someone who is interested in receiving a COVID vaccine who is unable to get out of the house due to medical limitations?
Consider applying for our homebound vaccination program through the Will County Health Department! Click the link to apply, and we will follow up with you as soon as we can! We want to get everyone vaccinated, especially those who are most at-risk and homebound.
2 DOSE VACCINE EFFECTIVENESS AGAINST COVID-19
GET BOTH DOSES
call 815-774-7386 to schedule your second dose.
REQUEST A NEW COVID-19 VACCINE RECORD CARD OR ALTERNATIVE FORM OF THE VACCINE RECORD FROM WILL COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
Use this two-sided English/Spanish form to: request a new COVID-19 vaccine record card; to have your COVID-19 vaccine record corrected; or to request an alternative form of the COVID-19 vaccine record. Requests will be filled within 72 business hours. Please plan additional time if your record is mailed via US Postal Service.
GET ACCESS TO YOUR VACCINATION RECORDS ELECTRONICALLY, THROUGH THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH’S VAX VERIFY SYSTEM
ATTENTION WILL COUNTY PARENTS/GUARDIANS OF
5-11-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN
Will County Health Department is planning for the expansion of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign efforts to include the 5-11-year-old age group. We are looking for feedback from Will County parents/guardians regarding their plans for vaccinating their 5-11-year-old children. Please complete this short survey:
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
The importance of pregnant women being vaccinated
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends urgent action to increase Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination among people who are pregnant, recently pregnant (including those who are lactating), who are trying to become pregnant now, or who might become pregnant in the future. CDC strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccination either before or during pregnancy because the benefits of vaccination outweigh known or potential risks.
As of September 27, 2021, more than 125,000 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in pregnant people, including more than 22,000 hospitalized cases and 161 deaths. The highest number of COVID-19-related deaths in pregnant people (n=22) in a single month of the pandemic was reported in August 2021.
Although the absolute risk is low, compared with non-pregnant symptomatic people, symptomatic pregnant people have more than a two-fold increased risk of requiring ICU admission, invasive ventilation, and ECMO, and a 70% increased risk of death.
IDPH UPDATED SCHOOL GUIDANCE
An updated version of the Public Health School Guidance, FAQ and Exclusion Protocols (with new flowcharts) are now posted on ISBE’s website, with updates underway to IDPH’s website. These align with EO 2021-24 and amendments to the Communicable Disease Code.
the importance of the annual flu shot
Influenza (flu) severity varies from year to year, but flu always brings serious consequences. The prevention of influenza and its associated consequences is important every year. Although the effectiveness of the flu vaccine can vary, overall the vaccine markedly lowers the risk of influenza-related illness, hospitalization, and death.
The COVID-19 pandemic means preventing influenza during 2020–21 is more important than ever. Influenza and COVID-19 share many symptoms. Preventing influenza means fewer people will need to seek medical care and testing for possible COVID-19 or influenza. And increasing flu vaccination uptake saves healthcare resources for COVID-19 and other conditions.
Our Progress
Over 57% of the population in Will County Are Fully Vaccinated!
Total number of vaccines administered
824,738
10/22/21
Total complete doses
395,568
10/22/21
57.14%
of population fully vaccinated
Demographic Breakdown
RACE/ETHNICITY
%
WHITE
497,455
%
HISPANIC
118,126
%
BLACK
78,388
%
ASIAN
59,503
Age
Ages 12-17
- 75,726 9.18%
Ages 18-64
- 575,342 69.8%
Ages 65+
- 173,652 21.1%
Gender
Female
- 440,715 53.4%
Male
- 381,814 46.3%
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR DAILY VACCINE CLINIC UPDATES
An easy way to stay updated on vaccine clinic hours and availability of appointments is to follow the Will County Health Department on Facebook. We post each morning the locations that are open that day for appointments and walk-ins.
Click here to visit our page and then follow/like us!
COVID-19 Questions? We are here to Help!
Call our COVID-19 Call Center at:
815.774.7386
The Will County Health Department provides a COVID-19 Call Center to help you:
- Schedule your COVID Vaccination Appointment
- Answer any COVID-19 Related Questions
- Provide you with the Direction You Need
Our #1 Priority is assist you in any way possible and provide exceptional Customer Service! Please call one of our Customer Service Representatives who are ready and happy to assist you!
Call Center Hours of Operations:
Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM