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February 22, 2021

Vacant building to be used by MCDH as a mass COVID-19 vaccination facility
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Vacant building to be used by MCDH as a mass COVID-19 vaccination facility

News • February 22, 2021

McHenry County converts vacant building into a mass COVID-19 vaccination center

By

MCHENRY – It was announced on February 19 that City of McHenry leaders would officially be turning over a vacant building located at 1900 N Richmond Road, to the McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH), that same Friday afternoon.

McHenry County Board Chairman Mike Buehler, R-Crystal Lake, lauded the city and its volunteers for braving the snow and less than desirable freezing temperatures, to convert the building into a mass vaccination facility in only 11 days.

“The amount of vaccine that McHenry County has been receiving has been far short of what we need, but once supply comes closer to meeting the enormous demand, we’ll be ready to ramp up, thanks to the hard work and generosity of the people of McHenry,” Buehler said, who based on the press release, has formally requested for more doses to be allocated to McHenry County.

Buehler echoed the sentiment he expressed at the Feb. 9 virtual town hall meeting when commenting on the situation of the vaccine rollout, “we understand how frustrated people are with the pace—we hear you. We are ready to roll once we get a steadier and more reliable flow of vaccine.”

The building which began as a Kmart store, opened in McHenry in 1987 and was later converted into a Sears Essentials in 2006. After Sears closed the store, the building has since remained vacant for 12 years.

The McHenry County Board of Health entered into a signed memorandum agreement with the City of McHenry, to use the vacant building as a local vaccine dispensing site, on Feb. 8.

In the memorandum, the City of McHenry agreed to pay for amenities such as utilities, Internet access, restoration of the property, and fixtures needed within the property. The City is also expected to designate two points of emergency contacts including obtaining security from the McHenry Police Department.

Though due to the county having learned that its supply of the COVID-19 vaccine for first doses have been significantly reduced for the next several weeks, MCDH clinics will be prioritizing second dose vaccine administration.

The reduction is due in part to the inclement weather conditions delaying shipments as well as a state directive announced on Feb. 13, wanting local health departments to focus on accommodating the greater number of second doses that need to be administered.

MCDH announced that the number of vaccines that will be administered at clinics will be dependent on the number of doses received, and they anticipate emails to schedule appointments to go out on short notice pending the arrival of the vaccine allotment. Those needing their second dose, are encouraged to watch for links to be sent to their emails.

The new McHenry vaccination facility will offer inoculations by appointment to people who have enrolled through MCDH. The enrollment form can be accessed online at bit.ly/MCDHCovidVaccine, or through MCDH’s COVID-19 call center at (815) 334-4045.

McHenry mayor Wayne Jett made a statement thanking city staff, local donors, and the vacant building owner.

“The City of McHenry is truly appreciative of our community business partners who came together to make this mass vaccination site a reality,” Jett said.

“We are honored to partner with the Department of Health to assist them in their mission to vaccinate McHenry County. I wish to extend special thanks to BET Investments for providing us an 87,000-square-foot building, and to all our local partners for their gracious donations. We couldn’t have put this plan together without them.”

Local donors included Sherwin Williams, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4600, Home Depot, Prairie Land Disposal, Jett’s Heating & Air, Eby Graphics, and ZFRM Law.

MCDH public health administrator Melissa Adamson was grateful in hopefully having the ability to inoculate more people in a greater amount of time, as the vaccine supply becomes available.

“We owe a big thank you to the City of McHenry for their contributions in standing up a permanent vaccination site for the county. This location will serve as the primary vaccination site and the size of this facility will allow us to grow our vaccination efforts as more vaccine comes online. We are extremely fortunate to be a part of a team working toward a common goal to meet the needs of our residents.”

As have stated previously, MCDH strongly encourages individuals who are in the eligible groups of Phases 1a, 1b, and 1c to look for other options to enroll in getting the COVID-19 vaccine in addition to registering with MCDH.

However, Adamson makes it clear that MCDH will be continuing in providing first dose vaccinations to McHenry County’s 65 and older population.

“It’s equally important that we get folks who’ve already had their first dose, the second shot they need to be fully vaccinated. With the limited supplies of vaccine, we’ve received in our county, we’ve had to make very difficult decisions about how to prioritize vaccine doses,” Adamson said. “Until the shipments of vaccine can accommodate our needs, we will continue to prioritize people who are most at risk for severe morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19 infection, which is our 65 and older, before moving on to other subgroups within Phase 1b group.”