The city of Chicago received more than 22,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine from the CDC on Wednesday, sending some of that supply to O’Hare International Airport’s two largest airlines. Both United and America Airlines will begin vaccinating eligible employees at the airport on Thursday. Neither carrier would say how many doses they received.
And while United said it will vaccinate Chicago-based workers who are at least 65 years old or are flight crew members, American said all of its O’Hare employees would be eligible.
Illinois state officials said they expect a majority of the 83,000 doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. They have been assigned to arrive Wednesday and be scattered among mass vaccination centers.
Meanwhile, the appointments at the United Center’s vaccination site will open on Thursday.
To register for an appointment at the United Center, please visit www.zocdoc.com/vaccine or call the multilingual hotline (312) 746-4835 Monday through Saturday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm and Sunday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
And Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, is being viewed as a potential location for mass vaccination, both the Cubs and attorney Aurora Health confirm.
A spokesman for the Cubs said they are in talks with the city about opening a site in Wrigley. Although the shots would not be given on the field itself, some areas could be used indoors and outdoors.
Advocate calls Wrigley Field a convenient option due to its proximity to the CTA.
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The cubs say it would be their honor to play a role in ending the pandemic if called upon.
If Wrigley becomes a vaccination site, recordings may be made in the indoor halls, outdoor plaza and possibly the player’s parking lot.
STATEMENT OF ADVOCATED AURORA HEALTH:
As a community health leader, we are committed to doing everything we can to carry out the vaccination process as quickly, fairly and safely as possible.
We are proud to partner on a potential mass vaccination site in Wrigley Field, which could potentially be authorized by the City of Chicago. If the site is designated and City vaccine supplies become available, Advocate Aurora Health would provide clinical staff and technical infrastructure.
This location is being considered as a convenient option for those who do not own a car as it is easily accessible via the CTA. This is part of our ongoing focus on partnership to ensure that residents of disproportionately affected communities have access to the vaccine as soon as supplies become available.
We continue to believe that the vaccine is our best chance to end this pandemic and we continue to use our current, very limited supply for our most vulnerable patients over 65.
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