As Illinois expects to see its shipments of COVID-19 vaccines cut in half, some south and southwest suburban hospitals said Wednesday they are still waiting for doses to administer to their front line workers.

Will County health officials said that nearly 5,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrived Wednesday and were delivered to hospitals, including Silver Cross in New Lenox.

But OSF HealthCare Little Company of Mary in Evergreen Park, University of Chicago Medicine’s Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey and Franciscan Health Olympia Fields said they had yet to receive shipments and were uncertain of when they might arrive.

Under the rollout of the vaccine, hospital workers who are most at risk of coming in contact with the coronavirus are the first in line to receive the vaccines, followed by residents and staff of long-term health care facilities such as nursing homes.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday anticipated deliveries of about 8 million and 9 million doses in the next two weeks both have been cut to 4.3 million.

Illinois was still expected to receive 109,000 doses of the vaccine this week, including allotments to Chicago and a handful of other health agencies.

Cook County Department of Public Health officials said earlier this week that 20,000 doses of the Pfizer-developed vaccine were expected to be delivered to 15 suburban hospitals this week.

Vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna require two injections, spaced roughly three weeks apart, with maximum protection against the virus coming about two weeks after the second dose, county health officials said.

The vaccines must also be stored at ultracold temperatures, and if no storage capacity is available the doses have to be administered within five days of arrival, health officials said.

Will County Board of Health members learned Wednesday that two medical-grade freezers are available to the county, at no cost, from a company in Chicago.

The freezers are expected to be delivered Monday, but board members also went ahead with a plan to purchase a freezer should the free ones not meet required specifications.

The county said it also plans to establish an online sign up by the end of this week or early next week for Will County residents to sign up for the vaccine when it is available to the broader population.

The initial phases include hospitals and residents and staff of long-term care facilities, following by people such as first responders and those being described as “critical infrastructure workers,” including employees of public utilities.

Cook County health officials said that just ensuring health care workers get the required two doses could take more than a month.

Rachel Rubin, the Cook County health department’s senior medical officer, said Monday the department has more than 200 long-term care facilities such as nursing homes and rehabilitation centers under its jurisdiction.

Health officials in both counties say they are also having to combat a fair amount of public skepticism about whether the vaccine is safe.

Surveys of Will County residents and county employees show that as many as half are reluctant to be first in line for a shot, said Susan Olenek, executive director of the health department.

Olenek said she would have no hesitation in getting the vaccine.

“I’m confident in the science, I’m confident in the scientists who worked through the trials,” she said.

While it could be several weeks or months before the vaccine is more widely available to the general public, Rubin said Cook County is working to ensure “there are no dead zones” as far as access, particularly in communities with limited access to health care facilities.

She said that mobile and drive-through sites are being looked at, along with schools and churches.

In a statement Wednesday, Olenek said the arrival of the first doses represents “the next stage of our fight against COVID-19.”

“It is great to have the vaccine out and being distributed, but it will take a long time before the general public is vaccinated,” she said, saying measures such as wearing masks and social distancing need to be maintained, particularly as the holidays approach.

“As we move through the various phases of the vaccination process we ask for the public to educate themselves and be patient,” she said.

mnolan@tribpub.com