(Rock Island County, IL) -- The Rock Island County Health Department says it will be ready to vaccinate all residents 16 and older against the coronavirus in mid April.
Public Health Administrator Nita Ludwig says on April 12th, every Illinois resident age 16 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. In her remark delivered through the Quad City COVID-19 Coalition call, she said that roughly 50,000 Rock Island County residents have received at least one dose so far, and almost 18,000 are fully vaccinated.
This week, higher education staff, government workers and members of the media became eligible. Next Monday, food and beverage workers, construction workers and religious leaders will get their shots. Then, on April 12th, everyone gets their turn.
She says the clinic at the Camden Centre in Milan is ready for the influx of people. The health department staff and volunteers, along with 63 Illinois National Guard soldiers, and more than 20 contract nurses can vaccinate up to 6,000 people a week, depending on vaccine supply.
All Illinois residents age 16 and older can get their vaccines free of charge at the Camden Centre in Milan. To make an appointment, find registration links at richd.org or the Rock Island County Health Department’s Facebook page. The health department must rely on a state vendor to create the links for each clinic day.
Starting next month, Ludwig added, the state of Illinois is expecting more than 1 million doses coming into the state each week with thousands of them headed to Rock Island County. In Iowa, the target date to offer vaccinations to everyone is April 5, depending on what’s available. Amy Thoreson with the Scott County Health Department says just because all adults may become eligible, does not mean every adult will be able to get a dose of vaccine on that day. She says it will take weeks and maybe months for supply to fully arrive, vaccine appointments to be created and scheduled, and for vaccines to be given.