Chicago State University, Gallagher Way vaccination sites open
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago opened two new mass vaccination sites Monday at Gallagher Way, near Wrigley Field and Chicago State University.
Vaccine shots are now being given at Gallagher Way with the goal of administering 2,000 doses per-day.
The location is by appointment only, serving those in groups 1A, 1B and 1C. By Sunday night, all appointments were taken, but additional appointments are expected to be announced. Those appointments will be available on zocdoc.com/vaccine.
The focus of the clinics is primarily on underserved Chicago residents. Advocate Aurora teamed up with local community organizations and the Chicago Cubs to open this mass vaccination site at Gallagher Way at Wrigley Field.
WATCH: Mass vaccination site opens near Wrigley Field
"These types of centers give you the access to get that vaccine and make it much more equitable," said Dr. David Trotter, an ER doctor at Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
Yolanda Delgado made sure to get her shot as quickly as she could.
"We need to finish with this virus," Delgado said. "I think it's really important for everyone to get the vaccine."
The timing is critical, as Chicago is seeing an uptick in cases, especially among adults 18-39 and particularly on the North Side.
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"This location is perfect for young adults to come get vaccinated and really help to get to a sense of normalcy," Dr. Trotter said.
But the demand is much greater than the supply. While the Gallagher Way site is offering the Pfizer vaccine, the state of Illinois and Chicago are set to receive more Johnson & Johnson one-shot doses soon. It's good news as cases increase across the state.
"We are all vaccine-dependent in terms of the number of appointments we can open so we will try and open them as early as possible," said Russ Hinz with Advocate Aurora Health.
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The mass vaccination site at Chicago State University also opened Monday.
The convocation center on the Chicago State University campus is a vast space with plenty of room for large-scale vaccinations. It is dedicated to provide the vaccine to underserved minority communities in specific zip codes. Initially, appointments are only available to those living in zip codes 60617, 60619, 60620, 60621, 60628, 60633, 60636, 60643, 60649, 60655 and 60827. Day one seemed to go smoothly.
"Most of the appointments are all taken. People have been moving in and out quickly, there has been no problems accessing the site and accessing the floor where vaccinations are being conducted," Chicago State University President Z Scott said.
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But even as the vaccine becomes more widely available, many continue to struggle to get appointments.
Former hospital administrator Stacia Thompson tried to get an appointment when the new slots opened last week in Cook County, but found herself in a waiting room online with thousands of others hoping for one of relatively few available slots.
"Eventually the screen changed to you can make an appointment, but no matter what timeframe I entered, there were no appointments," Thompson said.
She was later able to find an appointment at a different location.
