MARION (WSIL)--The COVID-19 vaccine has been in high demand since it became available to the public.
Starting April 12th, any resident in Illinois over the age of 16 will be able to sign up for their first dose.
"We feel that we can accommodate to our 18 and older population," said Bi-County Health's Director of Education Carrie Eldridge.
However, the Bi County health department is looking at what can be done to prepare for the wave of newly eligible vaccine recipients.
One of the largest hurdles Bi-County perceives is being able to accomodate all the upcoming appointments.
"We're making sure we have enough staff at the clinics, because we do recognize that that could be an issue for us," said Eldridge.
Eldridge also said that the clinics get a lot of help from volunteers, so they will be making sure their volunteer staff is well equipped for the upcoming expansion.
"Once you do open it up to a larger population base, you do expect larger crowds. So you just wanna make sure you have more staffing available," said Eldridge.
And Eldridge has advice for those who are excited for their turn to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
"We want people to have some patience because there could be the possibility of lines. But we are going to make sure the clinic runs as smoothly as possible," said Eldridge.
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