Coronavirus Vaccine Clinic Opens At DuPage County Fairgrounds

DUPAGE COUNTY, IL — The DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) is hoping to administer up to 5,000 coronavirus vaccines a week from its new DuPage County Fairgrounds vaccine clinic, which opened Wednesday. The clinic opening comes amid an overall limited vaccine supply and ongoing efforts to expand the county's vaccine capacity.

DuPage County leads Chicago's collar counties in getting residents vaccinated, according to the DuPage County Health Department. A total of 100,915 vaccines have been administered in the county to date, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).

IDPH records show that DuPage County Health Department had an inventory of 6,401 vaccine doses as of Feb. 5. Throughout the county's community-based vaccination sites, 21,985 vaccine doses were available as of Feb. 5.

At its current facilities in Wheaton, the health department reports that it has been able to vaccinate around 1,500 to 2,000 people a week. In addition, DCHD has partnered with nearly 100 health care providers to administer the vaccine once there is a more steady supply. Amid current vaccine supply limitations, roughly 42 percent of those health care providers have received vaccine allotments.

"We are very fortunate to have a robust network of healthcare providers in DuPage County who are committed to administering vaccines as soon as it is available,” Karen Ayala, Executive Director of DuPage County Health Department said in a news release. “When doses arrive, they do not sit in freezers for extended periods of time. Appointments are opened, links to schedule an appointment are sent, and doses are administered into the arms of those in the eligible groups."

Health department officials are hoping to capitalize on the increased space and accessibility of the DuPage County Fairgrounds location to administer as many as 5,000 coronavirus vaccine doses a week, once the supply is more consistent.

Local political officials and representatives attended Wednesday's opening of the new vaccine clinic. DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin was joined by Rep. Sean Casten (D, IL-6), Rep. Bill Foster (D, IL-11) and Rep. Lauren Underwood (D, IL-14).

In a news conference, Cronin said, "Your DuPage County leaders [are] working furiously to bring more vaccine to this county and get you vaccinated as fast as we possibly can."

The vaccine clinic at DuPage County Fairgrounds will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with vaccines available by appointment only.

Residents can click the link to register for a coronavirus vaccine at DuPage County Fairgrounds.