The McHenry County Department of Health has launched a call center and vaccine locator website to help residents enroll in the COVID-19 vaccine.
“In an effort to remove enrollment barriers and to streamline residents’ access to accurate information about COVID-19 vaccine, the McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) has launched a COVID-19 Call Center,” the department said in a statement.
The call center will be used to connect McHenry County residents to vaccine resources and assist them in completing the online enrollment process. Residents who have general questions about the COVID-19 vaccine are also encouraged to call.
“We have put in place a resource to reduce barriers for residents in accessing accurate information about available COVID-19 vaccines,” said Public Health Administrator Melissa Adamson.
“The COVID-19 Call Center is supported with translation services so anyone, regardless of the language they speak, can call for help with enrollment,” Adamson added.
Residents can call the COVID-19 Call Center from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 815-334-4045.
The health department said they are currently vaccinating Phase 1A along with seniors in Phase 1B. Links to register for vaccine appointments are sent out weekly by email, officials said.
Those who have enrolled online and received a confirmation email are in the system, officials said. Due to limited vaccine supply, clinics are only scheduled one week in advance and based upon vaccine allotments received.
The health department has also launched a COVID-19 vaccine locator page to help residents become aware of vaccine opportunities in McHenry County. The page can be found here.
The State of Illinois is also partnering with retail pharmacies such as Walgreens and Jewel-Osco to provide COVID-19 vaccinations. Information about where and how to schedule an appointment with those pharmacies is available at coronavirus.Illinois.gov.
Regional hospitals are also inviting patients who are 65 and older to receive the vaccine. “MCDH is encouraging residents to look for these direct communications from their healthcare provider’s health system about the option to receive the vaccine at their clinics,” the health department said.
“As local, state, and federal partnerships and vaccine supply increase we anticipate more opportunities for residents to obtain a vaccination and encourage everyone 65 and older to take the first available appointment they can schedule,” Adamson said.