Pritzker Administration Announces New Mass Vaccination Booster Clinics In Collars And Metro East

CHICAGO – Building on the State’s robust effort to bring vaccine and booster clinics to communities across Illinois, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) will establish four new one-day mass vaccination mobile booster clinics to help meet the growing demand for boosters. These clinics add to 6,511 Community Partner Vaccination events hosted to date with another 816 planned through January 31.

“Booster shots are a key part of keeping ourselves and our loved ones as healthy as possible this winter,”said Governor JB Pritzker.“My administration is partnering with local health departments to make these free vaccines as accessible as possible for all eligible residents – which now includes Illinoisans 12 and up. This is another step forward for safe schools, safe businesses and safe communities for all.”

At these mass vaccination booster clinics, all three vaccines will be available for individuals in need of a booster. As with all state mass vaccination clinics, vaccines are available to any Illinois resident, and no appointment, no identification or health insurance will be required.

Earlier this week, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) adopted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation to shorten the interval from 6 months to 5 months for when people who have received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine can get a booster dose. Only people who received two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine during their primary series can now receive an mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) booster dose 5 months after their second shot.

The booster interval remains the same for those who received the Moderna vaccine (6 months) or the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine for their primary series. While adults have the ability to mix-and-match their booster vaccine, 12- through 17-year-olds are only eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech booster.

In late December, Governor Pritzker directed the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) to enhance its partnerships with local health department mass vaccination operations throughout the state to help meet the growing demand for the COVID-19 vaccine booster. The State of Illinois is more than doubling personnel and adding at least 100 people to regional vaccination sites.

As part of this ongoing initiative, the State of Illinois is partnering with 12 local health department of offer mass vaccination booster clinics throughout the state of Illinois. Appointments can be made at each clinic at the links below. Many locations will also accept walk ups.

In this post-holiday period where many have gathered indoors with family and friends, state and local health officials urge residents to be mindful of the risks of transmitting this virus to others as people return to work and school. When choosing a COVID-19 testing site, state health officials urge residents to look at locations posted on the IDPH website, which includes pharmacies and many local health departments. The State of Illinois has increased the days of operation for all Community-Based Testing Sites located throughout the state. Testing locations can be found at https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19/testing.html, including information on the days and hours for free Community-Based Testing Sites.

State health officials urge residents to continue to practice preventive public health measures: getting vaccinated and boosted, wearing masks, avoiding large crowds and physical distancing where possible. If you are unable to attend one of these mass vaccination booster clinics, you can visit vaccines.gov to find a clinic near you.

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