CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The head of Chicago's public health department’s received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine Tuesday morning at Malcolm X College on the Near West Side.
Dr. Allison Arwady of the Chicago Department of Public Health explained that she was able to receive the vaccine because she sees patients as an outpatient healthcare worker.
"I am absolutely thrilled to have received my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. I believe in vaccines, I believe in science and I'm so excited to be part of getting Chicago back to normal. I hope all of you decide to get your vaccine when it is your turn and I am just thrilled," Arwady said.
Under phase 1A of the COVID vaccine rollout, the vaccine is now being offered to non-hospital healthcare workers such as those working in dentist offices, outpatient offices and at-home healthcare businesses.
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Hundreds of vaccines will be administered daily by appointment only and will be free in Chicago no matter where they are administered, Arwady said.
"So I'm sorry, you can't show up and try to get inline to get a vaccine. At this point, while the vaccine is still limited in Chicago, we're in phase 1A, meaning that vaccine is only available at this point for healthcare workers and then for long term care facility residents," she said.
Arwady anticipates phase 1A vaccination will go through January and into early February.
Phase 1B, which will include older adults and frontline workers, will likely roll out in March or April.
Arwady said educators, school staff and daycare workers are classified as frontline workers and will be part of phase 1B.
Malcolm X College is the city’s first POD, or point of dispensing, which is a term for a mass vaccination site.
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"We are at City Colleges of Chicago, but this has been a partnership of many, many city agencies," Arwady said.
Chicago began giving its first doses of the Moderna vaccine to healthcare workers Monday.
Chicago is currently averaging 1,075 new COVID-19 cases everyday, down from a daily average of nearly 1,300 a week ago, Arwady said.
She said she expects the daily average to be back under 1,000 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, explaining that the goal is to be under 400 cases daily. The city is averaging 17 COVID-19-related deaths per day. As of Tuesday, Chicago has had nearly 200,000 diagnosed COVID-19 cases and more than 4,000 related deaths.
“I would encourage people as we are coming up on New Year's Eve to please make different plans for New Year’s. This is not a year for gathering,” Arwardy said.