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As COVID-19 vaccine rollout inches forward, pharmacies throughout Illinois are stepping up to address a growing demand for appointment access. Here’s what we know so far about which pharmacies are offering appointments, and how to get one.
Registration portals vary by pharmacy and location.
To date, there are 18 Hy-Vee location offering vaccine appointments in Illinois, four CVS locations, 123 Jewel-Osco locations, 24 Kroger locations, 30 Mariano’s locations, eight Meijer locations, 20 Walmart locations and 517 Walgreens locations.
County health departments
You can also register through your county health department, which will notify you when it’s your turn to receive the vaccine and offer you dates or times when it becomes available for you.
In McHenry County, register here.
In Kane County, register here.
In Kendall County, register here.
In DeKalb County, register here.
In Lee County, register here.
In La Salle County, register here.
In Bureau, Putnam and Marshall counties, register here.
In Lake County, register here.
In Will County, register here.
In DuPage County, register here.
In Grundy County, register here.
Northwestern Medicine
If you’re a registered patient of Northwestern Medicine Heath System, you can register if you meet eligibility for Phase 1B.
Northwestern Medicine is holding appointment-only vaccine clinics for patients who are 65 years or older and are registered with the health system. Established patients who have a MyNM account will receive an email inviting them to schedule, according to a recent news release. Those who do not have a MyNM account will be contacted by phone, text message or email.
Vaccinations are scheduled on a week-by-week basis dependent on vaccine availability.
Phase 1b includes: those age 65 and older, first responders, day care workers, corrections officers and inmates, food and agriculture workers, postal service workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, public transit workers, educators and support staff, shelters and adult day care workers and those age 65 and younger with high-risk medical issues. Priority groups are designated by health departments in accordance with federal government protocols.
Hy-Vee pharmacy:
Head to www.hy-vee.com/my-pharmacy/covid-vaccine-consent. The form will ask you to put in your zip code or city, and give you possible locations up to 20 miles away. If it says “No appointments available,” you need to try again another time.
Be ready with some documentation, too.
Though the COVID-19 vaccine is free to all, some locations ask for your health insurance card information if you have it, as locations will bill that first (you will not receive an individual bill). If you don’t have insurance, that’s OK, the vaccine is covered by a federal grant, said Christina Gayman, director of public relations with Hy-Vee corporate, based in Des Moines, Iowa.
You will also need to bring with you a photo ID to show your age or a work badge of some kind to show proof of employment for eligibility since Illinois is still in Phase 1B.
You do not need to be a customer of Hy-Vee or a pharmacy patient to sign up for an appointment.
Jewel-Osco pharmacy:
Go to https://www.mhealthappointments.com/covidappt and put in your zip code.
Click the box if you are health care worker, long-term care resident, age 65+ or an essential worker outlined in Phase 1B.
You will need to have handy: proof of insurance, medical license if applicable, photo ID or driver’s license, proof of employment and last four digits of your Social Security Number.
An automatic questionnaire will ask if you are registering for your first dose, and offer a location. The drop-down menu will show a calendar, though you cannot move forward in the process if it says “no appointments are available.”
Another added feature includes a countdown clock, which counts down from 5 minutes as users attempt to sign up for an appointment.
Meijer pharmacy:
Go to https://clinic.meijer.com/ for more information on Meijer’s vaccine rollout.
There are two three ways to complete a pre-registration:
1. Online at www.clinic.meijer.com.
2. You can also text “COVID” to 75049 to receive updates directly to your phone. When appointments become available you will receive a text with the option to accept, defer or be removed from the list.
3. Or call your local Meijer Pharmacy. Click here to find your local Meijer.
Kroger and Mariano’s
For more information on Kroger’s vaccine rollout, go to https://www.kroger.com/rx/guest/get-vaccinated.
The website comes with a disclaimer that “we’ve received a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine in select areas,” and will ask you for location information. If an appointment time is available, it will ask you to input patient information, basic medical details and sign a vaccine consent form.
Walgreens pharmacy:
To create an account or log into your Walgreens.com pharmacy account and begin your registration process, go to www.walgreens.com/findcare/vaccination.
Complete a short eligibility screening. If you’re eligible, select a location and time. You’ll be able to schedule both dose 1 and 2 of vaccine at the same time, according to the website. If you feel ill the day of your vaccination, you’re asked to reschedule.
You will need to arrive 15 minutes early and bring the following to your appointment:
- Your appointment confirmation email
- Your COVID-19 Vaccination Authorization Code (if applicable)
- Your state ID, valid driver’s license or other government-issued ID
- Your medical, pharmacy benefit or medicare insurance card
- Download, print and complete the vaccination consent form. If you don’t bring the completed form, you will need to complete it at the pharmacy before your vaccination.
Walmart pharmacy: For more information on Walmart’s vaccine rollout, go to https://www.walmart.com/cp/1228302
CVS pharmacy: To register or see if there’s a location near you available, go to https://www.cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine. If eligible, you will be able to schedule your first and second dose at the same time.
Read more at www.shawlocal.com/news: No walk-ins allowed: Health officials review what to expect for 1st COVID-19 vaccine dose