KANKAKEE – With the area lagging behind overall vaccines efforts compared to others in the state, the Illinois National Guard will be on hand next week to assist in distribution.
In total, 36 National Guard will be on hand at two sites in Pembroke and Kankakee Community College administering the Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine.
“The moment we knew that vaccinations were available, we offered our campus as a distribution site,” said Dr. Michael Boyd, KCC president. “KCC is a familiar place for so many residents and that’s why it is a great place to host a vaccination site. It’s our hope is that all residents who qualify for the vaccine can receive it. It is a privilege to serve our community during the COVID-19 recovery process.”
The pop-up clinics will run at Pembroke Fellowship Church on Monday, April 5th from 9am to 6pm. Kankakee Community College’s clinics are scheduled to run at the Ryan Gymnasium Tuesday, April 6th and Wednesday, April 7th, 9am to 6pm.
As of Thursday, 36,522 doses of the vaccine had been adminstered, with 13,056 residents, or 11.87% of Kankakee County, fully vaccinated. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) data, the Kankakee County Health Department (KCHD) is currently averaging 586 doses administered per week.
As of March 31st, KCHD had reported to IDPH 1,645 doses of the vaccine had been wasted locally.