Brant Adreon, right, receives the first COVID-19 vaccine dose in the Dunlap High School library, where OSF HealthCare set up a clinic on Thursday, April 29, 2021.
COVID-19 vaccination clinics began this week in several Peoria County school districts. But the uptake varies significantly by community.
Amid rising case counts among younger people, Peoria City/County Health Department Administrator Monica Hendrickson says she wanted to get the Pfizer vaccine to teens as quickly as possible. So her office worked with the region's two major health care systems to set up in-school clinics.
"It's again coming back to convenience. Your kids are in their school, it's easy, it's a group you can catch quickly," she said. "It also makes it easier for families to get their kids protected."