CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The United Center’s mass COVID-19 vaccination site is closing Thursday after administering more than 300,000 life-saving shots.
The City of Chicago is now shifting its focus from large-scale vaccination sites to hyperlocal distribution to reach Chicagoans who still need their COVID-19 vaccine.
“How do we get the vaccine down to my last hesitant group?” asked Christopher Shields, Assistant Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. “Maybe it’s not even hesitancy of the vaccine, it’s access to the vaccine and that’s what the team has been working on basically the last four and a half weeks.”
The City of Chicago became one of the first nationally to extend its equity strategy to mass vaccination sites – making appointments available to the residents who were most impacted by COVID-19.
As a result, the city reported 45 percent of the Chicago residents vaccinated at the site were Black or Latinx. By prioritizing zip codes with the highest rate of COVID-19, the city saw communities like Pilsen go from some of the lowest vaccinated rates to the highest.
At a press conference Thursday morning, Shields thanked federal partners from the White House, the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA, as well as the host facility, the United Center.
“What an incredible cast of individuals that allowed us to build this essential element for not only the City of Chicago and suburban Cook County, but for anyone who needed medical services and needed that vaccination,” Shields said.
As the United Center closes, a vaccination site at Malcom X College will reopen on June 28, administering the Pfizer vaccine, operating Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
As the city transitions away from fixed vaccination sites, it continues to offer vaccine at dozens of neighborhood-based pop-up and mobile vaccination events, including at churches, food pantries, farmers markets, parks and beaches, CTA “L” stops and more. Visit Chicago.gov/VaxCalendar to find a vaccination event in a community near you.
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In addition, COVID vaccines will be offered at CDPH immunization clinics throughout the city when they reopen in July, and CDPH just announced the expansion of its At Home program and now anyone 12 and older can make an appointment to get vaccinated in their home. People can make an appointment by calling 312-746-4835 or going to www.chicago.gov/athome.
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