New mobile health unit brings COVID-19 vaccines anywhere in DeKalb County, thanks to local donors

DeKalb County Health Department’s new mobile health unit, obtained through a collective community effort to pool funds, is being rolled out for use around the county, and will be at Kishwaukee College Wednesday and Thursday offering walk-in COVID-19 vaccines.

The mobile health unit will be at Kishwaukee College’s walk-in vaccination clinic for students, staff and the community from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 25, and Thursday, Aug. 26. Currently-enrolled students will receive a $25 gift card to the Kishwaukee College Bookstore.

The vaccinations will be administered in the Student Lounge, C1130. No appointments are necessary. Individuals will have the choice to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or the first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

The mobile health unit was made possible through the DeKalb County Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Response Fund and several community partnerships, including donations from New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, the Douglas C. & Lynn M. Roberts Family Foundation, IDEAL Industries Foundation, Horizons Unlimited Foundation, FNBO, Kishwaukee United Way, Northwestern Medicine, Karen and Joe Grush, Dave and Suzanne Juday, Elizabeth Bass, Rotaract Club of Sycamore and the DeKalb County Community Foundation.

The mobile health unit cost approximately $90,000 and was delivered in June. The fully-air conditioned and heated mobile unit is customizable, and includes a waiting space to accommodate individuals or families with seating, storage and a hand washing station; a separate exam area for adults or adolescents; screens to help with monitoring clients; a small refrigerator; a 16-foot retractable power awning; mobile technology to securely record data and support health visits; and is equipped with a fire extinguisher and personal protective equipment (PPE) among other safety items.

“The mobile health unit is one of the specialized projects funded through the fund, and the foundation purchased the unit and donated it to the health department,” said Dan Templin, the DeKalb County Community Foundation’s executive director. “There was a great need for vaccine distribution directly to the community. With the mobile unit, vaccines and other services can be taken directly to those in need.”

Templin said that the mobile health unit will be used for COVID-19 vaccination distribution “short-term, but long-term, the trailer has a lot of value.”

“The mobile unit will offer direct opportunities to provide family and adult health services, health screenings, education, and outreach to community members who need services,” DeKalb County health officials said in an Aug. 3 announcement. “The services offered may include immunizations, education, health insurance eligibility and enrollment, as well as COVID-19 vaccinations.”

Pastor Joe Mitchell of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in DeKalb said that his congregation donated “a substantial amount for our small church” to the mobile health unit.

“We know how COVID-19 disproportionately affects Black and brown members of the community, and we have a predominately Black church,” Mitchell said. “I hope that by donating to help purchase the mobile health unit, we can uplift, help and support people in need in the community. It’s amazing how many organizations and individuals came together to help make the mobile health unit possible.”

If someone is homebound and in need of a vaccine, they can call 815-748-2401 or email covid19@dekalbcounty.org.