The COVID vaccine super-site has opened at Malcolm X College in Chicago for non-hospital healthcare workers

Chicago (WLS) – The city of Chicago opened its first mass vaccination clinic Tuesday morning at Malcolm X College in the near West Side.

This super-location will allow the city to ramp up its efforts to protect healthcare workers from COVID-19. The site will only focus on non-hospital healthcare workers and will require an appointment. Not available to the general public.

“I honestly don’t feel it,” said Dr. Alison Arwady, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Health.

Arwady said there was no leap ahead as an outpatient healthcare worker, she and the thousands of health care workers who are not in hospital would qualify for the vaccine.

Also among those who have been vaccinated is Chris Ballinger, who is treating COVID-19 patients at the immediate doctors center.

“Recently, we’ve had an increase in patients, so it’s good to finally get to that point,” Ballinger said.

Ballinger said he did not hesitate to get the vaccine. No di. Florence Roche, who also works in immediate care facilities.

“It’s a start, it’s always good to be optimistic and to have a sense of the right direction,” said Roche.

“The first thing is to make sure that your clinic is truly registered in Chicago, which could be a dental clinic, an outpatient, a school, or a nurse.” Arwady said.

After registering, the city sends a code to set an appointment. Once vaccinated, the city follows up on text messages asking about any side effects.

Dr. Arwady said it is a process that will likely take the next two months. Do not expect to begin vaccinations with the next batch (1B) for several weeks. For teachers, it might be longer.

“If I had to set a schedule, it would be spring, March, April,” Arwady said. “It depends on how much vaccine we get.”

Before the superposition, the city kept the vaccine for hospital staff. However, public health officials began distributing vaccines to nursing homes and community health care workers on Monday.

RELATED: COVID Vaccine: The Chicago Moderna Dose Launch begins at Brighton Park Clinic

As part of Chicago’s focus on equity, some of the first Moderna vaccine doses were administered at Esperanza Health in Brighton Park, a neighborhood with a positive test rate more than twice the city-wide average.

“Parts of the Latino community are still in crisis, and I want to make sure we don’t lose sight of that,” said Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

The Wentworth Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Englewood was the first long-term care facility in Chicago to receive COVID-19 vaccines as the city continues to reassure minority communities that the vaccine is safe.

Dr. Arwady said that health care workers and long-term care facilities will continue to get the vaccine throughout January and most likely most of February. In the spring, the vaccination will spread to older Chicago residents and prime workers.

More than 20,000 vaccines have been given to healthcare workers in Chicago hospitals.