'We're Going To Save An Awful Lot Of People's Lives': Gov. JB Pritzker Sees COVID-19 Vaccine Arrive At Illinois Strategic National Stockpile
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The first vials of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the Chicago area Monday, but no one will be vaccinated before Tuesday. The very first healthcare workers will be vaccinated at Loretto Hospital.
Many waited all morning in anticipation of the news that health care workers in Chicago beginning to receive the vaccine, but Monday afternoon CBS 2 learned that will not happen until Tuesday morning at Loretto Hospital on the city's West Side.
This led to the question: Where are Illinois vaccines?
"It is one of the most important things that will happen in all of our lifetimes," said to Gov. JB Pritzker.
Monday the governor got the first look at Illinois' vaccines at the Illinois Strategic National Stockpile. The undisclosed location is now housing approximately 43,000 doses.
Each one of the cases holds 4,800 doses. They were kept on dry ice then placed into a freezer kept between negative 78 and 80 degrees below zero.
The distribution of the vaccines will begin Tuesday and continue throughout the week. A majority of the doses will go to larger hospital then to local health departments.
The governor ended his visit expressing gratitude for all involved on this historic day.
"We're going to save an awful lot of people's lives," he said.
Chicago received a direct shipment from the federal government Monday.
The Cook County Department of Public Health and Lake County Health Department will receive their shipments later in the week.
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