Tens of thousands of appointments are open, but cannot be booked. Instead, they are held for five specific Chicago zip codes to ensure doses are distributed fairly among the city’s most vulnerable populations.
Residents of 60608, 60619, 60620, 60649 and 60652 can sign up for these unfilled appointments by going to https://events.juvare.com/chicago/UCPOD/ and using voucher code CCVICHICAGO or by calling 312- 746-4835.
The city warns that if you are determined to have used an invalid voucher or used a voucher for which you are not eligible, your appointment may be canceled. You must verify your address to confirm your appointment.
Many appointments at the UC remain open. Of the 110,000 appointments, only 40,000 were booked by Illinois residents aged 65 and older and only 10,000 by Chicagoans in 1B plus.
The rest have been reset after most senior appointments go out to people out of town.
“We have to do this in a way that is consistent with fairness, and that is critical,” said Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
VIEW | Organizations helping Pilsen residents get vaccination appointments from the United Center
With its highly immigrant, mostly Latinx community, Pilsen is within one of five zip codes designated by the city of Chicago to gain priority access to vaccines.
“Distant, sometimes for people, is relative,” said 25th Ward Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez. “For communities like ours, immigrant communities, vaccination in the neighborhood is critical.”
Pilsen resident Angelica Cruz saw the flyer with the link to sign up on Facebook on Wednesday morning. It was posted by someone she knew and trusted.
“They just ask for your name, your date of birth, and where you live to verify you’re in that zip code, and you get an email right away telling you that you got that appointment,” Cruz said.
Direct outreach is how the city relies on spreading the word. In Cruz’s case, it was Pilsen’s Resurrection Project that shared the information with her.
“We have a network of community navigators, or promoters, and what we did was let them know immediately, send them the link, this is the information. This is the code you need, all in Spanish so that mobilize them quickly and let everyone in their own network know, ”says Erendira Rendón, The Resurrection Project.
Trust is key. Vaccine reluctance by Black and Latinx communities remains a problem. Language barriers and outright fear of those running the United Center are one of the main issues that continue to plague efforts to vaccinate immigrants in particular.
“There is a lot of concern about going to those massive vaccination sites, mainly because of the military presence,” said Esther Corpuz, Alivio Medical Center. “And ask in their heads whether they are safe there.”
RELATED: United Center, Des Plaines Massive Vaccination Sites Begin To Accept Appointments
The United Center had its soft opening on Tuesday and was fully open for all booked appointments on Wednesday.
Jeff Ginex got his chance at UC on Wednesday, but on Tuesday evening he received a message that he had canceled his appointment. However, he never did so he came out anyway.
“You know everything is messed up now, you just roll with the punches,” Ginex said.
Jim Hubler, who got his chance on Wednesday, said that as admission guidelines continue to shift, he’s giving government officials some leeway.
“I’m frustrated, but I also appreciate the magnitude of the problem and the fact that it’s their first time doing this and there are problems getting the vaccine,” said Hubler.
At full capacity, the federally run site expects to administer 6,000 doses per day. It stays open seven days a week for eight weeks while people get their first and second photos.
The 30,000-square-foot facility under half a dozen air-conditioned tents begins with a check-in station. After check-in, people with an appointment are guided to one of three dozen vaccination stations, all six feet apart, with shots administered by a 101st Airborne medical team, who arrived in Chicago on Friday.
The facility also includes a post-injection observation tent, bathroom facilities, and shuttle services.
Walk-up vaccinations are done at Parking Lot E, northeast of the arena. Driveway vaccinations take place in parking lot C. People who have to park can park in parking lot A.
RELATED: Cook County Des Plaines COVID Vaccine Site Opens
Copyright © 2021 WLS-TV. All rights reserved.