1 Million COVID Vaccine Doses Doled Out To Lake Co. Residents

LAKE COUNTY, IL — More than 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to Lake County residents, Lake County health officials said Tuesday.

According to data provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health, more than 69 percent of eligible Lake County residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and more than 60 percent are fully vaccinated.

“We have come a long way since we administered our first dose in December 2020,” said Mark Pfister, executive director of the Lake County Health Department. “We want to thank all of the Lake County residents who made the choice to protect their community and get vaccinated. We also want to extend our appreciation to all our community volunteers and partners, pharmacies, medical providers, hospitals and corporations who have administered vaccinations and helped us reach this milestone.”

Those interested in booking a vaccine appointment can do so at more than 200 vaccination sites throughout Lake County. The website vaccines.gov helps those interested in receiving their vaccine to do so online.

Meanwhile, health department community clinics in Waukegan and Round Lake are open to all people ages 5 years old and older who need their first or second dose. Limited appointments at these clinics are available at AllVax.lakecohealth.org.

Households already registered in the AllVax Portal are encouraged to add their children as a household member, rather than setting up a separate account for them. Minors under 18 years old must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to receive their vaccine at a Lake County Health Department vaccination site, according to a news release.

“While the number of administered vaccines is encouraging, we still have to remain vigilant to end the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Sana Ahmed, medical epidemiologist of the Lake County Health Department. “This means continuing to follow the 3 Ws: Wear a mask, Wash your hands, Watch your distance; and getting the vaccine if you haven’t already.”

A person is considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 two weeks after the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) or 2 weeks after the single dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. It is important to take increased caution until fully vaccinated.