Don’t show up too early to COVID vaccine appointment, St. Clair County officials urge
St. Clair County officials again are urging people with appointments to avoid arriving too early for their COVID-19 vaccinations at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds site.
Over 100 cars were in line at 7:45 a.m. Saturday, which was 15 minutes before the first appointment, St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency Director Herb Simmons said.
But overall Simmons said the traffic was flowing better on Saturday as compared to Thursday and Friday.
“Everything’s going smooth this morning,” Simmons said. “There’s no backup like there was the last of couple days.”
During Friday’s daily briefing, Simmons and Assistant Director Bryan Whitaker pleaded with people to arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before their appointments.
On Thursday several streets south of downtown Belleville were gridlocked by vehicles with passengers waiting to get COVID-19 vaccinations at Belle-Clair Fairgrounds. Simmons said the gridlock and smaller backups on Friday were caused by people showing up for vaccination appointments early.
Simmons said there were the same amount of people scheduled Friday for appointments but the lines were shorter, which he attributed to the word getting out that people should not arrive early.
An estimated 50 vehicles were lined up outside the fairgrounds gate on Thursday morning before the clinic opened. St. Clair County Health Department expanded eligibility for vaccinations on Thursday to Phase 1B, Part 2, adding ages 16 to 64 with high-risk health conditions, which officials say may have played a part in the heightened traffic.
To deal with overflow caused by early arrivals Thursday, National Guard troops directed drivers to pass the fairgrounds entrance and form a loop around the neighborhood to the north. Traffic also was backed up on Illinois 159 and South Belt East.
Simmons said many people are arriving early due to a growing fear in the community that they may miss out on their shot if they don’t arrive on time. He stressed that if you make an appointment with the health department, there will be a vaccine dose waiting for you at the scheduled time.
“There’s no need to be there rushing,” Simmons said, adding that the health department schedules vaccine appointments based on how many doses they have within a day.
“If you have an appointment, as long as you have one, there will be a vaccine there for you when you arrive,” Whitaker said. “There were people today who were significantly early who were turned away and told to return later at their appointment time.”
Along with the early arrivals, Whitaker said people are also showing up for their second dose of the vaccine without making an appointment. People who receive their first shot in St. Clair County should receive a notification to schedule their second appointment before they are due for their second dose. The time frame depends on whether the person received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
“While you’re due and it’s 21 days later, you still need to go online and make an appointment,” Whitaker said. “You can’t just show up and get that second shot.”
Have more questions about the COVID-19 vaccination effort in the metro-east? Visit the BND’s Vaccine FAQ.
This story was originally published February 27, 2021 at 7:00 AM.