By Blake Haas

BLOOMINGTON – To streamline the process of registering for a COVID-19 vaccine clinic, the McLean County Health Department is launching a new vaccine scheduler.

According to McLean County Health Department Administrator Jessica McKnight, the new vaccine scheduler on MCHD’s website would provide email confirmation for vaccine appointments.

“We are using the Illinois Department of Public Health EMTrack system for scheduling, and we have added on our website now on the page where vaccinations are posted. So health.mcleancountyil.gov, our website a tutorial, a step-by-step process so individuals will be able to use the system and know they are registered.”

Once a resident enters their name, address, phone number, date of birth, and email address, they will receive an email confirmation of their vaccination appointment.

This past week, the health department vaccinated around 600 residents; however, some residents showed up for vaccinations believing they had an appointment when they did not.

“Our hope is that the more communication we can do and help people be more comfortable with the process of scheduling that we can just alleviate any of that stress or anxiety of not knowing for sure. So people know for sure that they have that appointment. And again, we’re going to be in this for the long-haul. We’re going to have weekly appointments and schedules posted, so the more familiarity people have with the program and the more communication that we’re able to provide, the more comfortable the public can get.”

While COVID-19 vaccines remain limited, McKnight added that booking appointments are necessary to register for a COVID-19 vaccination.

You can book an appointment here: https://health.mcleancountyil.gov/791/Vaccination-Clinics

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].