CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Chicago has begun distributing COVID vaccines to people as young as 18 in neighborhoods that have been hit hardest by the virus.
Nearly 2,000 people received COVID vaccines at a high school in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood last weekend as part of the city’s efforts to target neighborhoods with high COVID case numbers and hospital admissions.
According to the Sun-Times, Oak Street Health organized and ran the mass vaccination Saturday and Sunday aided by community groups who reached out to residents in a highly targeted campaign. The effort, which is not advertised broadly to the public, will continue every weekend for the next seven weeks.
Unlike other vaccination sites that limit doses to those who qualify under Phase 1A and Phase 1B, the Belmont Cragin vaccinations are open to all area residents 18 and older.
Community groups will notify residents through an active telephone and door-to-door knocking campaign.
The Belmont Cragin community is one of 15 singled out by Mayor Lori Lightfoot to concentrate vaccination efforts. The campaign aims to target Black and Latino communities who may be hesitant to get shots.
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A city official said there are several other similar programs that will be announced soon, including one in North Lawndale.