(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Will County health officials say mapping technology has helped them pinpoint where to best locate pop-up COVID vaccination sites.
Will County Health Emergency Response Coordinator Katie Weber said the local government first used Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, to have people register for COVID vaccinations.
The county used that information to target vaccination eligibility notices as more people were allowed to get COVID shots.
With updated data, GIS is now used to determine which parts of the county have worse vaccination rates than others. That information is used to determine which communities could use more vaccination education as well as pop-up clinics.
“It changes on a weekly basis. As we vaccinate more people, you see things change,” she said. “We used to have a lot more ‘red’ areas and those have started to disappear as we’re getting more people vaccinated.”
While the rate of people getting vaccinated has slowed, the pop-up clinics are getting more shots in arms, she said. Weber hopes things pick up again when five- to 11-year olds are allowed to be vaccinated.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, nearly 56% of Will County residents are fully vaccinated. Only Kane County has a lower percentage in the Chicago area.
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