The Tinley Park Convention Center has now opened as a massive coronavirus vaccination site in Illinois, state officials announced.
The center, located at 18451 Convention Center Drive, opened Tuesday as an Illinois National Guard mass vaccination site in Cook County, according to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Pritzker, accompanied by the chairman of the Cook County Board, Toni Preckwinkle, toured the new location Monday, as the state entered Phase 1B of the vaccine rollout, making doses available to millions of residents.
“Large-scale vaccination sites will allow us to get these life-saving vaccine doses to Illinoisans quickly and efficiently as more federal shipments of vaccines come online,” Pritzker said in a statement. “The Illinois National Guard and the Illinois Department of Public Health are proud to partner with Cook County to launch the Tinley Park Convention Center Vaccination Site – our seventh Cook County collaboration overall, and there will be many more come into the state. “
Appointments are required, according to Tinley Park village, which said appointments can only be made through state and county websites. They can be scheduled through the recently launched Cook County vaccine website or by calling (833) 308-1988.
For a full overview of how to book an appointment or get vaccine information for your area, click here.
“This first major location in the Southland is indicative of our commitment to distributing the vaccine fairly, but we fully expect demand to soon outpace supply,” Israel Rocha, Cook County Health’s CEO, said in a statement. “It is crucial for people to understand that while we are keen to vaccinate everyone who wants to be vaccinated, vaccine supply remains the biggest limiting factor. We ask Cook County residents for their patience as we work to ramp up a of the largest County-run vaccine programs in the country. “
County officials expect to be able to administer up to 3,000 vaccines per day “when the Tinley Park site is fully optimized and an adequate vaccine is available.”
As of Tuesday, seven mass vaccination centers have opened in the outskirts of Cook County. (Full list of locations here)
The province said it plans to open at least five extra-large suburban sites in the coming weeks, but those will depend on the availability of vaccines.
Phase 1B, which began Monday, opened up vaccinations to people 65 and older, as well as “ frontline essential workers, ” including first responders, educators such as teachers and support staff, childcare workers, grocery store employees, postal workers, and more.
In addition to the Tinley Park site, several Walgreens and Jewel-Osco locations have also begun vaccinations or have made arrangements for Illinois residents eligible for Phase 1B of the state’s vaccine rollout.
The Illinois Department of Public Health has launched a site where eligible residents can find vaccine events and book appointments.
The governor said current vaccination sites in the state are available by appointment only, but the state plans to launch walk-in sites in the coming weeks.
“As the federal supply of vaccines grows and Illinois receives more vaccines, the state will launch walk-in locations and expand locations to include additional healthcare providers, such as doctor’s offices and emergency care clinics,” the governor said in a news release Monday. “More information on those locations will be released in the coming weeks.”