Questions and answers about Batavia mass vaccination site
Once the necessary contracts are finalized by Kane County officials, a COVID-19 mass vaccination site is expected to open within a month at a former retail building in Batavia.
Kane County Board Member Jarett Sanchez, who chairs the committee that oversees the Kane County Health Department, provided details about how the site will operate.
Q: Where will the site be located?
A: The former Sam's Club store at 510 N. Randall Road in Batavia. The plan is to utilize 20,000 square feet of the 137,000-square-foot facility until Nov. 1 at a rental cost not to exceed $220,000.
Q: When will the site be open?
A: Gov. J.B. Pritzker's office will announce the official opening date but Kane County officials aim to open the Batavia site within a month. It will be run by the Illinois National Guard, which typically operates its sites six days a week — closed on Mondays — with a 12-hour shift from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Q: How will the public set up vaccine appointments?
A: Kane County already has an online system in place for people to register for shots at kanehealth.com. The county will begin setting up appointments for the Batavia site by working through the existing list of registered residents.
Q: Who is eligible to receive shots there?
A: Vaccines are for Kane County residents only and will be targeted for people in the Phase 1B group that includes front-line essential workers and residents age 65 and older. If extra vaccine supply is available, the plan is to open eligibility to the Phase 1B-Plus group that includes residents age 16 and older with disabilities or underlying physical conditions.
Q: How many daily doses are expected to be administered at the site?
A: Site staffing will be set up to handle a base number of 3,000 doses per day but if extra doses are made available, county officials say they'll find a way to provide additional staffing. The national guard is supplying 15 vaccinators and the county will provide medical personnel to help expedite the entire process.