McHenry County Department of Health asking residents 65 and older, teachers, other priority groups to enroll for COVID-19 vaccines

The McHenry County Department of Health is asking residents who fall into the next two vaccine priority groups to complete a vaccine enrollment form so it can better determine the county’s needs.

After completing the enrollment form and once a clinic becomes available to each group, additional information on how to schedule an appointment will be emailed directly to those who complete the form, according to a news release.

The county still is rolling out vaccines to the first priority group, which includes health care workers and long-term care facility staff and residents but the enrollment is designed to help it prepare for the next stages. Those in this Phase 1A group who have not yet been enrolled should complete the form found at redcap.link/hcpvaccine.

“Our team has been busy vaccinating, and we are close to moving on to Phase 1B,” Public Health Administrator Melissa Adamson said in the release. “We will need to further prioritize within the Phase 1B group, but we will make sure everyone who is interested in receiving the vaccine will have the opportunity to do so before moving on. Please be patient and enroll to ensure that you are getting the information you need to schedule an appointment for yourself or those in your organization.”

In Illinois, the next group being prioritized for vaccination includes anyone 65 years of age or older; first responders, including security personnel; those that work in education, including day care workers and student support; those that work in the food, agriculture and manufacturing sectors; corrections workers and inmates; U.S. Postal Services workers; public transit workers, including flight crews, taxi drivers and ride sharing service providers; grocery store workers; and those who operate homeless shelters, adult day programs and other similar services.

The phase after that, Phase 1C, includes those who have medical conditions that increase the risk for severe COVID-19, including obesity, diabetes, pulmonary disease, heart condition including hypertension, kidney disease, cancer, immunocompromised, sickle cell and pregnancy.

The phase also includes those who work in the following industries: transportation and logistics, water and wastewater, food service, shelter and housing, construction, finance and banking, information technology and communications, energy, legal, media, other public safety such as engineering and public health workers.

For these two phases, a point of contact from each organization, an independent contractor not affiliated with an organization, anyone 65 years or older or anyone with a high-risk condition is should to enroll by completing and submitting the enrollment form found at redcap.link/mcdh_phase_1b_1c_vaccine_enrollment.

Anyone who does not have access to a computer or the internet is encouraged to watch local media outlets to find out when their group is eligible to schedule their vaccine appointment by phone, according to the release.

Those receiving their vaccine at an McHenry County Department of Health clinic will need to bring current identification and proof of their employment – such as an employment badge, paycheck stub, state licensure or certificate – if applicable, according to the release. A 15-minute observation period will follow the vaccine, a common practice to ensure no adverse reactions.

For information about COVID-19 vaccine distribution in McHenry County and for links to Phase 1B and Phase 1C vaccine enrollment, go to bit.ly/MCDHCovidVaccine.