Lake County's largest COVID-19 vaccination site coming to Round Lake Beach next week

The Lake County Health Department said Monday that when the new COVID-19 vaccination site at the old Kmart in Round Lake Beach is fully operational, it will be the largest such site in the county.

When the vaccine supply allows it, the site's peak capacity will be 5,000 vaccinations per day, officials said.

Last week, an average of 6,537 people per day received a dose of the vaccine in Lake County, a 27% increase from the previous week.

The new site, scheduled to open April 20, will offer indoor COVID-19 vaccinations at no cost to anyone 16 or older who lives or works in Lake County. Appointments still will be required through the county's AllVax web portal.

"This site will improve access for those who live and work in Lake County to receive a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, the best tool we have to protect our families and communities," said Mark Pfister, the health department's executive director.

Meanwhile, the Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake has transitioned to a walk-through vaccine clinic to treat more people. The site is no longer doing drive-through vaccinations.

"This change, made possible by the warmer weather, allows us to increase our daily capacity at the site, meaning more appointments will be available each week for our residents," Lake County health officials said in a news release issued Saturday.

Round Lake Beach vaccination site is a collaboration between the health department and Baxter, the multinational health care company headquartered in Deerfield, and Curative, a startup formed in January 2020 that distributes COVID-19 tests and vaccines.