This supersite will allow the city to make efforts to protect health workers against COVID-19. The site will focus only on non-hospital health workers and will require an appointment. It is not open to the public.
Chicago Health Department Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady has been described as one of the health care workers who sees patients but does not connect to a hospital. Dr. Arwady was vaccinated at Malcolm X College and said she was excited to get vaccinated.
Prior to the supersite, the city reserved the vaccine for hospital staff. However, public health officials began distributing vaccines to nursing homes and community health workers Monday.
CONNECTION: COVID Vaccine: Photo Launch of Chicago Modern begins at Brighton Park Clinic
As part of Chicago’s focus on equity, some of the first doses of the Moderna vaccine were given at Esperanza Health in Brighton Park, a neighborhood with a test positive rate that is more than double the city average.
“Portions of the Latinx community remain in crisis and I want to make sure we don’t lose sight of this,” said Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
The Wentworth Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Englewood was the first long-term care center in Chicago to receive COVID-19 vaccinations as the city continues to reassure minority communities that the vaccine is safe.
Dr. Arwady said that health workers and long-term care institutions will continue to receive the vaccine throughout January and probably most of February. In the spring, vaccination will move to old Chicagoans and essential workers.
More than 20,000 vaccinations have been given to health care workers at Chicago hospitals.
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