COVID-19 Vaccine and Testing Information

COVID-19 Vaccination Information

All Illinoisans age 16 and up are now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.  

The vaccine is FREE for everyone in the United States. You do not need to have health insurance to receive a vaccine.  Undocumented immigrants are eligible for the vaccine, any personal data collected during the vaccination process can only be used for public health purposes and may not be used for civil or criminal prosecution, including immigration enforcement.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it's your turn is the most important thing you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones from COVID-19 and help our communities recover from the devastating impacts of this pandemic.

Here are key things to know about the COVID-19 vaccines, benefits of the vaccines, and guidance for fully vaccinated individuals from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

On April 13, the CDC recommended a temporary pause in the use of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. This means that the J&J vaccine is not currently available at any vaccination site. For more information and answers to frequently asked questions about the pause, click HERE. Click HERE for a statement from the Chicago Department of Public Health about the pause in the distribution of the J&J vaccine. 

COVID-19 Vaccines: A Candid Conversation

Do you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines? I hope to see you this Thursday for a panel discussion with local public health experts to answer YOUR questions and address common concerns about the COVID-19 vaccines. The discussion will stream LIVE on my Facebook and YouTube pages this Thursday, April 22nd at 6PM CT.

The panel will be moderated by Dr. George Smith, a public health faculty member of the College of Health Sciences at Chicago State University. We will also be joined by: 

• Dr. Amaal Tokars, Assistant Director, Illinois Department of Public Health
• Dr. Daria Terrell, Director of Clinical Programming and Health Outcomes, St. Bernard Hospital 
• Julie-Ann Collins, Nurse Practitioner, Friend Health
• Christopher Thomas, a Chicago resident who will share his experience getting a COVID-19 vaccine

 

COVID-19 Vaccination Sites

All Illinois Residents

Your options for getting the vaccine include getting the vaccine through a local pharmacy or hospital, a mass vaccination site, or your county health department. For an interactive map of all vaccination locations in the State of Illinois, click HERE.

The following vaccination centers are available to all Illinois residents: 

• Cook County Department of Public Health
• Cook County Heath - Blue Island Health Center 
• Cook County Heath - Robbins Health Center
• Provident Hospital
• South Suburban College
• Thornton Fractional South High School
• Tinley Park Convention Center Site

The following pharmacies are also offering the vaccine:

• Costco
• CVS
• Jewel-Osco
• Kroger
• Mariano's
• Meijer
• Sam's Club
• Walgreens
• Walmart

City of Chicago Residents

Click HERE for the City of Chicago's Vaccine Finder tool. 

Mass Vaccination Sites

• The Chicago State University Vaccination Site in the First District is open to Chicago residents who live in the following zip codes: 60617, 60619, 60620, 60621, 60628, 60633, 60636, 60643, 60649, 60655, and 60827. ​Chicagoans in these zip codes can also register online or call 312.746.4835 to sign up for an appointment.  More information on the Chicago State University vaccination site is available HERE. 
• The United Center Vaccination Site is open to City of Chicago residents.  No on-site registration is available, you must have an appointment. To see if you are eligible for a vaccine appointment and to register, click HERE.
• The American Airlines Conference Center at Gallagher Way next to Wrigley Field Vaccination Site is open to Chicago residents in phases 1A, 1B, and 1C, ages 18+.  No on-site registration is available, you must have an appointment. To see if you are eligible for a vaccine appointment and to register, click HERE.

Proof of Chicago residency is required for all vaccine appointments. HERE is a list of accepted proof of address documents. 

Vaccinations for City of Chicago Seniors/Home-bound Individuals:

The City of Chicago is working to integrate mobile home health care vaccination services to reach home-bound individuals who are unable to go to the City’s COVID-19 vaccination sites to get the vaccine.  For more information, click HERE. 

Cook County Residents

Click HERE for information about registering for the COVID-19 vaccine in Cook County.

Cook County residents who are eligible can also get vaccinated at any of the sites listed in the "All Illinois Residents" section above. 

Veterans

• The Hines VA Medical Center is currently offering COVID-19 vaccines to all veterans already receiving care from the VA and some spouses and caregivers of Veterans.  To schedule an appointment, call the Hines COVID vaccine call center at 708-202-2707 or 708-202-7000.  Click HERE for more information.

• The Jesse Brown VA Medical Center is now providing COVID-19 vaccines to all Veterans, spouses, widows, and caregivers.  There are no restrictions on age, health conditions, employment, or type of discharge from military service.  To schedule an appointment, call 312-569-5801. Click HERE for more information.

Will County Residents

Click HERE for information about registering for the COVID-19 vaccine in Will County. For vaccination locations in Will County, click HERE. 

Will County residents who are eligible can also get vaccinated at any of the sites listed in the "All Illinois Residents" section above. 

 

COVID-19 Testing Locations in Illinois's First District

Click here for an interactive map of COVID-19 testing locations in the Chicagoland area.

Below are lists of testing locations compiled by Illinois state and local health departments:

• Illinois Department of Public Health 
• Cook County Department of Public Health
• Will County Health Department
• City of Chicago

For more information about COVID-19 testing guidelines, click HERE.