St. Clair County begins COVID-19 vaccinations for people who are 65 years old
St. Clair County officials announced Thursday the county will begin vaccinating people 65 years and older starting now.
The county is in the 1B stage of vaccination, which typically includes people 65 years or older. But the county began vaccinating people who are at least 75 first because they are a higher risk group, according to St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern.
People who are eligible to be vaccinated may sign up on the county health department’s vaccine waitlist at co.st-clair.il.us/departments/health-department. Once you sign up, the county notifies you when you are can arrange an appointment. If you are selected to receive your first dose, the county health department will contact you via phone or email to set up an appointment.
The county also started a call center that assists people who need help signing up for the list. The center’s number is 618-825-4447 and runs Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The number of available appointments depends on the number of vaccines the county receives daily, according to a statement from the health department. More appointment times will become available as the county receives more vaccine.
“That’s been our dilemma,” said County Emergency Management Agency Director Herb Simmons in a video on Facebook posted Thursday. “We have the demand, we have all of our citizens showing interest in it but we have to have the product.”
People searching for more information can also visit the county’s website at www.co.st-clair.il.us/departments/health-department/covid-19-information or through the BND’s vaccine Q&A.
Kern said the county is also seeing a “noticeable” amount of individuals not showing up for scheduled vaccine appointments.
“If you set up an appointment there is a dose of vaccine there for you at the time you reserved,” he said, stressing the importance of showing up for the appointments.
The vaccination of the rest of the 1B population in St. Clair County has yet to begin.
There are about 3.2 million Illinoisans in Phase 1B. They include:
People who are 65 years old or older
Firefighters
Law enforcement officers
911 workers
Security personnel
Teachers, principals and school support staff members
Daycare workers
Food and agriculture workers
Manufacturing workers
Corrections workers and inmates
U.S. Postal Service workers
Public transit workers, including those who work for ride-sharing services
Grocery store workers
Staff members at homeless shelters and women’s shelters
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow to share your questions with us
Help the BND report on COVID-19 vaccines and their distribution in southwestern Illinois. Send your questions, tips and coverage ideas to newsroom@bnd.com or 618-239-2500.
This story was originally published February 4, 2021 at 3:53 PM.