Just over half of Tri-County residents are now fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
Illinois Department of Public Health statistics updated Thursday show Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford counties with 175,968 fully dosed residents. That’s 50.07% of the region’s population, and an increase of just 1.1% in the past two weeks.
The first wave COVID-19 vaccines were initially available to some segments of the population in December; eligibility expanded to a majority of residents by March.
Peoria County alone is at 50.5%, with Tazewell at 50.15% and Woodford at 47.83%. The three counties have logged 352,549 total administered doses.
Peoria City/County Health Department Administrator Monica Hendrickson said people are coming in for vaccines now for a number of reasons. Some contracted COVID-19 after receiving their first dose, and had to wait before getting their second dose. She said many people are also driven by mandates.
"A lot of it is driven by employment. The new regulations out there, they are wanting to be proactive about it," Hendrickson said.
She said many parents are also getting their children vaccinated on their 12th birthdays, the earliest they are eligible to receive a Pfizer vaccine under the current guidelines.
The IDPH figures show 61.7% of Illinoisans age 12 and older are fully vaccinated, and 79.1% have received at least one shot.
