Hospitals, Public Health Officials Standing Ready To Distribute COVID-19 Vaccine Once FDA Gives Authorization
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago area hospitals and health departments are in stand-by mode, waiting for the FDA to give the green light to the first COVID-19 vaccine. Officials say they have the equipment and expertise to deploy the vaccine as soon as possible.
Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn is one of ten hospitals in the state chosen to be central distribution points.
So are Advocate Aurora Health Systems and Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.
Munster Community Hospital is one of five "pre-positioning" sites that will get the first doses in Indiana.
The Lake County Health Department is the first in the state of Illinois to implement registration for the vaccine. Officials urge residents to register everyone in their household through the AllVax portal, which will notify them when they are eligible and ready to get the vaccine.
More than 60,000 residents have registered since the Wednesday launch.
And in DuPage county, as they are able to obtain more doses, the county is working on plans to organize drive-thru sites to get the vaccine in spots like CVS and Walgreens pharmacies. It will run much like the testing sites for COVID-19 operate now.
Also, some doctors at the DuPage Medical Group said they have already been able to sign up to get the vaccine. The hope is to start vaccinating their staff as soon as Tuesday.
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