March 30, 2021 - Oak Park’s vaccine pre-registration form has begun collecting information from all residents 16 and older who want to get in line for a local COVID-19 vaccination clinic.
The Illinois Department of Public Health is set to officially make everyone 16 and older eligible on April 12, but has left the implementation decisions to local health departments, since vaccination efforts vary widely across the state.
No vaccine has yet been approved for individuals under 16 years old.
Oak Park public health officials say they have begun pre-registering residents in anticipation of moving quickly to expand clinic eligibility as vaccine supplies allow.
Every resident 65 and older who had pre-registered with the Village has received at least one invitation to a clinic, and invitations will soon be sent to any remaining frontline essential workers or residents with high-risk health conditions currently on the pre-registration list.
Filling out the vaccine pre-registration form does not schedule a vaccination, but it does make sure those residents who wish to be vaccinated can be contacted by the Oak Park Health Department when community vaccination opportunities arise.
In addition to pre-registering to get into the Oak Park Health Department’s vaccination queue, residents are encouraged to sign up through Cook County, which is managing mass vaccination clinics throughout the area, including at Triton College and in Forest Park.
The Illinois Department of Public Health also is managing a statewide vaccine locator to help get appointment information about opportunities at state-run clinics and even local pharmacies.
In addition, many major healthcare providers are reaching out directly to schedule appointments with their existing patients – visit your health system’s website for more details.
More information on local vaccination efforts and links to these other vaccination resources are posted on the Village website.