Chicago Aims to Offer All Adults Free Covid Vaccine in 2021

Chicago officials announced that the city expects to get thousands of coronavirus vaccine doses this month, and hopes to offer them for free to all adult residents in 2021, reports Bloomberg . Once Pfizer and Moderna secure emergency federal approvals and Chicago receives guidance from an immunization advisory committee, the city will allocate initial doses to its 34 hospitals the week of Dec. 14. Healthcare workers who treat Covid-19 patients or perform procedures that put them at high risk for spread will be the first vaccine recipients. The next recipients will be employees and workers at long-term care communities, followed by essential workers, people with underlying medical conditions, and those 65 and older. City commissioner Allison Arwady said Chicago expects to receive about 23,000 doses of Pfizer's vaccine in the first week following federal approval, and could get up to 150,000 doses of Moderna's this month. She added that after federal approvals are processed, weekly shipments will continue and early vaccinations will require two doses. "We look forward to working with our citywide partners to ensure the distribution process is executed as efficiently and safely as possible through an equity lens," declared Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.