CTA Bus Brings COVID-19 Vaccine To Senior Citizens Throughout Chicago Area

Chicago is bringing COVID-19 vaccines to citizens in a new initiative, which kicked off Wednesday (March 31).

The Chicago Department of Public Health teamed up with the CTA to launch the pilot program, using a bus to reach the elderly population. The goal is to vaccinate people who live in places where vaccination rates are low, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday (April 1).

The mobile vaccination site served 98 residents at the Atlas Senior Center, city officials announced. The Sun-Times also noted that others — including family members and friends — can also get vaccinated at the CTA bus as long as they help a senior sign up.

It’s not the first effort in the state to help vaccinate citizens in places with low vaccination rates.

The Illinois Department of Public Health recently announced that vaccine eligibility would expand “where demand appears to have waned.” In those areas, anyone age 16 and up can get the vaccine.

“Recent increases in hospital admissions and test positivity are concerning new developments and we don’t want to go down the same path we’ve seen before and experience a resurgence in the pandemic, which is why Governor (J.B.) Pritzker directed us to use all our resources to halt these upticks,” IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a press release. “We cannot move forward if our metrics are going backward. The vaccine will help get us to the end of the pandemic, but we need to continue to reduce spread of the virus by wearing a mask, avoiding large crowds, keeping six feet of distance, getting tested after seeing others, and getting vaccinated as soon as possible.”

The City of Chicago will plan additional COVID-19 vaccine events using the CTA bus, according to the Sun-Times.

Photo: Getty Images