CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Chicago Public Schools and city health officials announced on Friday that it will launch COVID-19 vaccination sites at four schools beginning next week. These four sites will offer 1,500 first-dose vaccinations each week.
As part of an agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union, CPS expedited 2,000 vaccinations earlier this week for pre-kindergarten, cluster staff and those who live with vulnerable family members. The CTU said several of its member teachers didn't feel safe returning to in-person learning unless certain COVID-19 safety protocols were in place.
“Widespread vaccination and an expanded surveillance testing program are critical components of our strategy to safely reopen as we phase in tens of thousands of staff and students in the coming weeks,” CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson said.
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The school district selected Chicago-based Innovative Care to handle scheduling appointments and provide medical staff to perform the vaccinations and monitor patients after they receive their shots.
“We are excited to partner with the Board of Education and CPS to make COVID vaccines available to all CPS staff as quickly as possible,” said Rahul Khare, MD, CEO and founder of Innovative Care. “We have vaccinated more than 8,000 patients already, including many area teachers. Innovative Care is committed to helping our community recover from COVID, and
vaccines are a large part of that effort.”
CPS will offer tests to all schools offering in-person learning and 50 percent of in-person staff members per week.
Once a month, COVID-19 surveillance testing will be offered to the all students ho have chosen to return for in-person learning who are over the age of 10 who attend school within the 10 Chicago zip codes with the highest numbers of daily average COVID-19 case and all high school students in a moderate to severe cluster program.