Select Page

COVID-19 News Update

DECEMBER 22, 2021

WILL COUNTY ADMINISTERS 1 MILLIONTH COVID-19 DOSE AND CONTINUES PUSH TO ENCOURAGE 1st TIME VACCINATIONS AND BOOSTERS AS HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE ON THE RISE

JOLIET, IL – The Will County Health Department reached a milestone today in administering 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to residents of Will County, reaching 60% of the county being fully vaccinated.

“Over the past year, the County Health Department has worked hard to roll out the COVID-19 vaccine to all populations in our county,” said Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, Will County Executive. “While this is a key milestone, we must continue to be vigilant about defeating COVID-19. Forty percent of our county remains unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated, which puts them at risk to be impacted by this evolving virus.”

One Year Anniversary of First COVID-19 Vaccinations in Illinois

State Hosts More than 5,600 Vaccine Clinics Through Community Partnerships

More than 18 Million Doses Administered, Approximately 63% of all Illinoisans are fully vaccinated

SPRINGFIELD – More than 18 million doses later, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is recognizing the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 vaccines administered in Illinois. On December 15, 2020, roughly 450 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine were administered to health care workers after being delivered to the state the day before.

IDPH and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency have partnered with communities to host more than 5,600 vaccination clinics around the state, including 1,400 youth-school clinics and approximately 1,900 equity-based clinics. Another 870 events have already been scheduled.

“One year and 18 million doses later, the COVID-19 vaccine has saved countless lives across Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I am incredibly grateful for the scientists, researchers and public health professionals who made this historic effort possible, allowing us to reunite with loved ones, return to small businesses, and engage with our communities once again. As we recognize the progress we’ve made, I urge all eligible Illinoisans to receive their vaccine or booster and protect themselves and their families this holiday season.”

Upcoming Dates with
Special Vaccine Clinic Hours:

12/30/21 Joliet Vaccine clinic closing at noon. The clinic is open from 9am-12pm

1/17/22: Joliet Vaccine clinic closed for Martin Luther King Day

Pfizer Booster Dose
for 16 & 17 Year Olds

On 12/9/21, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, authorizing the use of a single booster dose for administration to individuals 16 and 17 years of age at least six months after completion of primary vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.

Will County Health Department began offering booster doses to eligible 16 and 17 year olds on Monday, December 13. The booster dose can be administered 6-months from the date the second dose of Pfizer was received.

To schedule your teens booster dose CLICK HERE.

CLICK HERE for the full FDA announcement.

CLICK HERE for the new Pfizer 12+ Emergency Use Authorization Form.

COVID-19 VACCINE:

BOOSTER DOSE

Everyone ages 16 and older should get a booster shot!

The Will County Health Department and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), following the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to open COVID-19 booster shots to all, is recommending anyone 16 years and older get a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose six months after receiving their second Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, or two months after receiving the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

To learn more about booster doses visit the CDC website HERE.

Schedule your booster dose below or call the COVID-19 Call Center at 815-774-7386.

Moderna
Booster Dose

WHO IS ELIGIBLE:
Individuals 18 years and older

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 16 years and older

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

WHO IS ELIGIBLE:
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.

Moderna Booster Dose

Ages 18+

Available at the Joliet location only

PFIZER BOOSTER DOSE

Ages 16+

Joliet Location Appointments

Bolingbrook Location Appointments

Johnson & Johnson Booster Dose

Ages 18+

Available at the Joliet location only

WILL COUNTY EQUITY
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Easterseals Joliet Region

Easterseals Joliet Region provides exceptional service to ensure that all people with disabilities or special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work, and play in their communities. This includes essential health and human services such as children’s allied health services, autism services, child care, home visiting, foster adoptive services and residential long-term care.  In addition to direct service, Easterseals has spearheaded three recent public health campaigns funded by the CVS Foundation: Substance use disorders, Smoking Cessation and the development of an Inclusive Health Coalition.  Led by Deb Condotti, President/CEO, Easterseals has touched the lives of more than 3,000 individuals annually and has been on the ground to provide resources and services to those who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  As partners through the COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Grant, Easterseals has implemented an outreach and education initiative that provides facts, data, and relevant stories in support of COVID-19 vaccination efforts.  To date, Easterseals has referred 71 staff and client families for vaccination and boosters, distributes information on COVID testing sites, shares COVID-19 updates from trusted sources, provides updates and information in their newsletters, includes messaging on their signage, and posts on social media to improve vaccination awareness, confidence, and uptake.  Through these efforts, Easterseals has reached over 400 individuals.  To learn more about Easterseals Joliet Region, visit: https://www.easterseals.com/joliet/ or https://www.facebook.com/eastersealsjolietregion.  Thank you to these compassionate advocates.  We are grateful for your partnership!

For updated COVID-19 Youth and School resources, Click Here.

You can access Youth and School Data & Metrics and Youth and School Guidance, including music and sports safety, FAQ’s, testing for COVID-19, and school exclusion protocols.

Do you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine?

Download our Frequently Asked Questions document by clicking below.

Download the PDF in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Polish, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, or Urdu.

COVID-19 VARIANTS

The Omicron Variant of Concern has been detected in the United States. CDC is following the details of this new variant. Click here to read the CDC’s Media Statement.

To learn more about the different COVID-19 Variants click HERE.

To protect yourself against COVID-19 Variants, schedule your vaccination appointment or booster dose appointment today.  Call the COVID-19 Call Center at 815-774-7386 to schedule an appointment or schedule below.


Click here to download the IDPH release of the following health advisory from 12/1/21.

This advisory is a summary:

  1. To provide information on IDPH monitoring of travelers from eight countries (Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe) into the United States due to the identification of the Omicron variant.
  2. To provide information on CDC travel changes.
  3. To provide information on COVID-19 cases for whom sequencing to look for Omicron would be recommended.

5-11 Pediatric Pfizer Vaccination

The Illinois Department of Public Health has Adopted CDC recommendations for the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for children ages 5-11

Will County Pediatric Pfizer (ages 5-11) Vaccine Providers

Pediatricians, Pharmacies, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Will County Health Department and other community partners will be providing Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine to children ages 5 to 11.

Tips to help calm vaccination fears for children

Make a Plan

Talk with your child before their appointment about what to expect.

Don't Lie

Avoid tricking or misleading your child about what to expect.

Stay Calm

If a parent is nervous or stressed it can affect the child so it is important to stay calm.

Bring a Toy

A toy can help comfort and distract a nervous child.

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. 

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.

Moderna Third Dose FOR IMMUNOCOMPROMISED

Joliet Location Appointments

Pfizer Third Dose FOR IMMUNOCOMPROMISED

Joliet Location Appointments

Bolingbrook Location Appointments

Contact Tracing

Contact Tracing is being used by all 97 local health departments and IDPH Surge Center to slow the spread of COVID-19. 

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 infectious 
  • Notifying contacts of their potential exposure 
  • Referring those contacts for testing 
  • Monitoring contacts for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 
  • Connecting contacts with services they might need to remain at home during the self-quarantine period 

 

*Please Note: Will County Health Department Contact Tracers do not need your social security, or payment information to perform contact tracing, our staff will NEVER ask for payment, and/or credit card information of any kind.

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.

 

Upcoming Dates with Special Hours

12/30/21 Joliet Vaccine clinic closing at noon. The clinic is open from 9am-12pm

1/17/22: Joliet Vaccine clinic closed for Martin Luther King Day

Joliet

Will County Health Department Vaccine Clinic

501 Ella Avenue, Joliet, IL 60433

CLINIC HOURS:
MONDAYS from 9am – 3:45pm
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS from 9am – 5:30pm

CLOSED WEDNESDAYS & FRIDAYS

Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines available

 ACCEPTING WALK-INS
AFTER 10am 

Now with automatic second dose scheduling!

Bolingbrook

Will County Health Department North Branch Office Pfizer Vaccine Clinic

Regular Wednesday Pfizer Appointments for ages 12 & up

323 Quadrangle Drive, Bolingbrook, IL 60440

CLINIC HOURS:
WEDNESDAYS
from 10am – 5:30pm

 ACCEPTING WALK-INS 

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

County Level COVID-19 Risk Metrics

Hospital Resource and COVID Patient Data

Vaccinations By Zip Code

County Level COVID-19 Community Transmission Data

Cases: 7 Day Total

4,087

Cases: Total Per 100K

591.68

Positivity Rate

8.94%

Pop-Up Vaccine Clinics

Beecher 200 U

660 Penfield St, Beecher

March 26th from 9am to 1pm

Adult & Pediatric Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson Clinic

Plainfield Public Library District

15025 S Illinois St, Plainfield

March 26th from 11am to 3pm

Adult & Pediatric Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson Clinic

St. Peter's Lutheran Church GYM

310 N Broadway St, Joliet

March 26th from 10am to 3pm

Adult & Pediatric Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson Clinic

Joliet Public Library Black Road Branch

3395 Black Rd, Joliet

March 26th from 11:30am to 3:30pm

Adult & Pediatric Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson Clinic

C.W. Avery Family YMCA

15120 W Wallin Dr, Plainfield

March 27th from 9am to 3pm

Adult & Pediatric Pfizer, & Moderna Clinic

FIND A COMMUNITY VACCINATION CLINIC IN YOUR AREA

You can sort by county
(use the little arrow that will appear when you hover over the County column to sort by County)

You can also zoom on map to a specific area

Availability of Vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines are widely accessible in the United States. Everyone ages 5 years and older should get a COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible. COVID-19 vaccines are available for everyone at no cost, regardless of their immigration or health insurance status.

Many doctors’ offices, retail pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics offer COVID-19 vaccinations. Visit vaccines.gov to find locations that are offering vaccines to everyone ages 5 years and older. Parents can check with their child’s healthcare provider, their local pharmacy, and health department about whether they offer COVID-19 vaccination. Learn more about how to find a COVID-19 vaccine.

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.

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

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 60% of the population in Will County Are Fully Vaccinated!

Total number of vaccines administered

1,011,326

12/22/21

Total complete doses

422,448

12/22/21

61.02%

of population fully vaccinated

Demographic Breakdown

RACE/ETHNICITY

%

WHITE

628,136

%

HISPANIC

140,891

%

BLACK

96,535

%

ASIAN

79,739

Age

Ages 5-11

  • 25,843 2.56% 2.56%

Ages 12-17

  • 80,355 7.95% 7.95%

Ages 18-64

  • 686,656 67.9% 67.9%

Ages 65+

  • 218,456 21.6% 21.6%

Gender

Female

  • 540,337 53.4% 53.4%

Male

  • 469,109 46.4% 46.4%

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?

Our team of Customer Service Representatives are ready to help answer any question.

Call our COVID-19 Call Center at:

815.774.7386

The call center can help…

  • Schedule, Reschedule or Cancel your COVID-19 Vaccination Appointment through the Will County Health Department
  • Find a COVID-19 Vaccination Location near you
  • Find a COVID-19 Testing Location near you
  • Answer basic COVID-19 questions:
    • Information on available COVID-19 Vaccinations
    • General COVID-19 Vaccine related guidelines
    • Where to locate guidelines on the CDC website
  • Sign up for the Will County Health Department Weekly Newsletter
  • Obtain Proof of COVID-19 Vaccinations

 

Call Center Hours of Operations:
Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Sign Up To Receive Our Weekly COVID-19 Update Newsletter