Vaccine Eligibility Opens Statewide, Locally

By Travis Volz

As Washington County continues to outpace the rest of the state in vaccination percentage, even more people will soon be eligible for shots.

According to information on the Illinois Department of Health website, 18.66 percent of the population of Washington County is fully vaccinated, better than the statewide average which stands at 13.9 percent.

A total of 2,611 people are fully vaccinated, and 6,229 doses have been administered to county residents. The 7-day rolling average of doses administered in the county is at 124.

Washington County Health Department Administrator Elizabeth Lehde reported that 505 doses of vaccine have been administered by her office and teams from the Illinois National Guard from March 13-19.

The pool of people eligible for vaccination is set to expand, as Governor J.B. Pritzker announced that state residents aged 16 and older will be able to be vaccinated beginning April 12.

Full article in this week’s issue as well as information on the State’s steps towards fully reopening.