The South Side Mission is partnering with Walgreens to administer 400 Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines beginning this weekend.
There are 150 shots available per day this coming Sunday and Monday, and another 100 next Tuesday. Vaccinations are available by appointment only for those in the 1A, 1B or 1B+ vaccination categories.
"Hopefully, folks that maybe haven't had the opportunity, and have been debating yes or no, hopefully if it's close to home here and they can get to the mission carefully and safely, we'll be able to accommodate that," said South Side Mission Development Manager Rich Draeger.
Draeger said Walgreens reached out late last week about standing up a "pop-up" COVID-19 vaccination site in South Peoria.
"Their whole approach, their outreach into communities that might be a little underserved," Draeger said. "And certainly we here in the 61605 (zip code), wanted to partner and make that available to not only to folks that we serve, but folks in this neighborhood and beyond that who haven't had an opportunity to get vaccinated."
He said Walgreens also is considering piloting other pop-up vaccination sites around central Illinois. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is considered logistically easier for mass vaccination sites because it only requires a single dose, rather than the two staggered doses needed with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for full efficacy.
"After the fact, I imagine we'll probably visit with them, and see if we can do it again," Draeger said. "Maybe there's a big run at the beginning, and it all fills up in one day, and they say they need to do it again. So we're certainly open to that. And I think Walgreens will visit with us after it's done, and we'll do it again if it's deemed successful."
Walgreens recieves the vaccine from a federal supply chain. None of the Tri-County health departments have received an allocation of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine yet through the state of Illinois, which is sending the vast majority of doses to mass vaccination sites.
"Right now, the state's not getting a large supply," said Peoria City/County Health Department Administrator Monica Hendrickson. "We hope that by the end of this month and into April, that we'll see a lot more Johnson & Johnson."
Hendrickson said the pop-up clinic distribution model for the single-dose vaccine is ideal for serving areas where people face transportation or accessibility challenges.
To register for an appointment, go to the South Side Mission's website or Facebook page. Walk-ups will not be accepted. Clients also will be asked to fill out two additional forms.
UPDATE: All 400 appointments are now filled.
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