More than 500 COVID-19 doses administered at latest DeKalb County vaccine clinic

DeKALB – More than 500 people received a COVID-19 vaccination or booster during a recent clinic hosted by the DeKalb County Health Department.

Those interested will have another chance to get a free vaccination at the Jan. 19 clinic. COVID-19 vaccines are free and available to all 5 and older.

The clinic is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, at the Northern Illinois University Convocation Center, 1547 W. Lincoln Highway in DeKalb. All COVID-19 vaccine types will be available at this clinic, according to county health officials.

Health officials recommend wearing a short-sleeved shirt to make the vaccine more easily administered. People should wear a face covering when attending the clinic, bring a photo ID, bring their vaccination cards if they already received at least their first dose and their complete consent forms from the health department.

To sign up for an appointment online, visit app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21571681&appointmentType=29499907.

Recent clinic numbers

In total, health professionals administered 531 vaccine doses during the Jan. 6 clinic hosted by the health department at the NIU Convocation Center in DeKalb.

Lisa Gonzalez, public administrator for the health department, confirmed Friday 305 of those were Moderna doses, 19 Johnson and Johnson doses, 154 Pfizer doses for patients 12 years old and older and 53 Pfizer doses for patients ages five through 11.

Out of the 305 Moderna doses administered, 302 were boosters, one was for an immunocompromised patient and the remaining two were either the patient’s first or second dose. Out of the 19 Johnson and Johnson doses given, 13 were boosters and six were the initial dose, according to local health officials.

Out of the 154 Pfizer doses given to patients 12 years old or older, 137 were boosters and the remaining 17 were either the patient’s first or second dose. For the 53 pediatric Pfizer doses, 44 of them were for patients’ first dose and nine were for the second.

The Pfizer vaccine is the only one available to people as young as five. Moderna and Pfizer are a two-dose vaccine, and Johnson & Johnson is a single dose.

Patients receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are eligible for a booster shot six months after their second dose. For the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, it is two months after the first dose.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best way for people to protect themselves from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. Additional measures people can take include avoiding crowded and poorly ventilated spaces, wearing a mask in public indoor settings, delaying travel until you’re fully vaccinated and staying home if you are sick or show symptoms of COVID-19, or waiting on test results.

To ask DeKalb County health officials additional vaccine-related questions, email covid19@dekalbcounty.org.