DuPage County reopening mass vaccination clinic for COVID-19 boosters

DuPage County will reopen a large-scale vaccination clinic on Wednesday to administer booster doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to seniors, workers in high-risk jobs and others who are eligible for a third shot.

The vaccination center at the county fairgrounds in Wheaton will offer boosters by appointment only three days a week. People seeking their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine can also receive their initial shots at the fairgrounds.

The county health department shut down the vaccination hub in mid-July because of waning demand. The department shifted to a hyperlocal strategy of bringing shots to underserved areas through mobile and pop-up clinics.

“Along with boosting protection to those that need it and proactively reaching out to newly eligible individuals, the health department will continue to focus much of our vaccination efforts on reaching the unvaccinated and encouraging them to get vaccinated to keep themselves and their community safe,” a spokeswoman said in a statement Tuesday.

Those seeking booster shots should bring a COVID-19 vaccine card showing that they received a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at least six months ago.

Booster shots are available for the following eligible groups: anyone 65 and older; residents of long-term care facilities; adults who have underlying medical conditions; and adults who work or live in settings that put them at high risk of COVID-19 exposure or transmission. Healthcare workers, firefighters, police and teachers are in that category.

In DuPage, 606,344 residents, or more than 65% of the county’s population, are fully vaccinated, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

The clinic will be open by appointment from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays as well as from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Fridays.

The county health department encourages advance registration for booster shots. To register for appointment notifications, visit Dupagehealth.org/covid19vaccine or call (630) 682-7400 if assistance is needed.