Crystal Lake YMCA to host vaccine clinic Wednesday

Crystal Lake’s Sage YMCA is one of a few YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago locations that will be hosting a free vaccine clinic this week.

In Crystal Lake, the clinic will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Sage YMCA, 701 Manor Road.

Along with Crystal Lake, the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago has arranged for Illinois Department of Public Health mobile vaccination vans to come to the Rauner Family YMCA in Chicago’s Little Village, the Buehler YMCA in Palatine, and the South Side YMCA in Woodlawn on select days and times this week, with additional locations next week, according to a news release.

These free clinics are part of a seven-day campaign involving 12 YMCA sites across the city and suburbs “intended to meet the evolving needs of Chicagoland families by increasing access to the COVID-19 vaccine in the neighborhoods it serves and save lives,” according to the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago.

IDPH employees will be present at each mobile clinic to administer doses of either the two-shot Pfizer vaccine or one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine free of charge on a walk-in basis. Follow-up inoculations for the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine will be scheduled at each location. Photo ID is not required.

To incentivize more people to get vaccinated, the YMCA said it is waiving the joining fee on a new membership for all vaccinated individuals who can show proof of full vaccination at any Y membership desk until Nov. 1.

To date, the YMCA of Metro Chicago has helped vaccinate more than 900 community members through clinics at its Chicago-area sites, according to the release.