File Photo | Photo: National Cancer Institute.

Health officials said that more than 40,000 residents in Lake County have already registered for COVID-19 vaccines after the county’s registration portal launched on Wednesday.

The site is called AllVax and allows all Lake County residents to register to be notified when a COVID-19 vaccine is available for them.

โ€œWe want to assure our residents that their safety is our top priority,โ€ said Mark Pfister, Executive Director at the Lake County Health Department.

โ€œThe COVID-19 vaccines that will be available soon have gone through extensive clinical trials. The trial results indicate remarkable effectiveness in preventing COVID-19 with low risk of serious side effects,” Pfister added.

Residents will be prompted to enter their basic information and answer a few screening questions on the portal. They will be notified when a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available.

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Those who are registered through the portal can schedule vaccination appointments through Lake County clinics or facilities once a vaccine is available for them.

The portal also includes answers to frequently asked questions on vaccination, health officials said.

โ€œThe Lake County AllVax Portal gives us the opportunity to protect the health of our community by getting the right people the vaccination at the right time,โ€ said Jefferson McMillan-Wilhoit, Director of Health Informatics and Technology at the Health Department.

โ€œThis portal is a huge advance in being able to reduce infections and restore our communities, and we encourage all residents do their partโ€”get registered on the portal and get vaccinated,โ€ McMillan-Wilhoit said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday. Certain groups of people who are at higher risk will be eligible for vaccination before others due to the initial limited vaccine supply.

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The Lake County Health Department said they have a goal to vaccinate 80% of Lake County residents.

“This is an exciting moment in science and an important step toward ending the COVID-19 pandemic, which has come at great cost to public health, our healthcare systems, and our economy,โ€ Pfister said.

Those interested can visit AllVax.lakecohealth.org or call the Lake County Health Department at 847-377-8130 to register.