CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Chicago’s top health official said her department is doing almost everything to make sure all residents who want the coronavirus vaccine can get it.
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady was in the Back of the Yards neighborhood where the city is pairing up with University of Illinois' Mile Square Health to run another vaccination center in an area hard hit by COVID-19.
She said more than 50 percent of Chicago’s vaccinations have gone to people in vulnerable populations.
A reporter asked if the city is considered an around-the-clock vaccination operation for people who can’t visit during regular business hours.
Dr. Arwady said the administration and its partners have taken many steps to get vaccines to seniors and people in areas hardest hit by by the coronavirus; but they are not thinking of a 24-hour vaccine site.
"At this point, there's not plans for a 24-hour situation, we have more thought about brining vaccine in strike team kinds of ways at off hours if necessary. We will see what the demand looks like and we will see what the vaccine supply looks like. We are always entrusted in new ideas," Dr. Arwady said.
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Starting next week, essential workers will be eligible for shots, and if creative methods are needed to reach them, she said, they will be considered. But right now, the aim is to get more vaccine doses.
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"Remember essential workers are part of that group. We felt very strongly about making sure people with underlying conditions and the frontline essential workers, who can't stay home, who can't always keep the distance can get prioritized. So we will keep prioritizing those workers and we will see if there are more creative things to do to reach them - we will think about those," Dr. Arwady said.