CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Tuesday marks the first day public COVID-19 vaccinations will be administered in the city of Chicago and downstate Illinois.
The Loretto Hospital, a community hospital in Chicago's Austin neighborhood, will administer Chicago’s first COVID-19 vaccination.
According to the Tribune, the 122-bed medical facility, which treats all patients regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay, was chosen because of the care it has provided to communities hit hardest by the virus.
Austin’s main zip code has among the highest death rates in the city, with one in every 468 residents killed by the virus, according to the CDPH. The neighborhood death rate is about 62 percent higher than that of the entire city.
Loretto Hospital was hosted the first testing center on Chicago's West Side.
Recent polling indicates a major reluctance on the part of Black Americans to say they plan to be vaccinated. It’s hoped by city officials that conducting the immunization in Austin will convince the Black community that it’s safe to get the vaccine.
Related
Meanwhile, in Peoria on Tuesday, Governor Pritzker and head of the state public health department will witness the first public vaccination outside the Chicago area.