Beginning Tuesday, a drive-thru vaccination will open at Chicago's United Center mass vaccination clinic.
Currently, the facility has been used only for walk-up appointments, but Tuesday will mark the start of a drive-up service.
Vaccinations began March 9 at the United Center in Chicago, though the opening has been marked by confusion and frustration as eligibility guidelines shifted.
Appointments originally opened on March 4, but only for Illinois residents age 65 and older. They then opened up for Chicago residents only in the days following and as of March 22, only senior residents and those in these nine city ZIP codes could access appointments: 60608, 60609, 60619, 60620, 60621, 60623, 60624, 60628, 60629, 60632, 60636, 60639, 60644, 60649, 60651, 60652, 60653.
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When available, some appointments may open for Chicago residents with qualifying underlying health conditions who live outside of these ZIP codes. Those appointments will appear in Zocdoc as they become available.
Click here for a complete guide of where you can sign up for the COVID vaccine in Illinois
Here's what you need to know for the drive-thru site:
Local
The vaccination site entrance is in lot C, on Warren, between Damen and Wood. All vehicals should enter from Warren. Translators are available onsite for people with limited English proficiency. American Sign Language interpreters are also available.
Driving to the drive-thru
- From the north: Take I-90 East to the Madison Street exit and make a right onto Madison Street.
- From the south: Take I-55 North to the Damen Avenue exit and make a left, going northbound for approximately 7 minutes.
- From the east: Take Madison Street west from the Loop.
- From the west: Take I-290 East to exit 28A (Damen Avenue). Take Damen Avenue north to Madison Street. Make a right onto Madison Street and the building will be on your right.
There are currently two options for making appointments: online and through a call center.
- To register online, visit Zocdoc.com/vaccine. The web site is projected to handle much higher volume of appointment requests. Zocdoc will show real-time appointment availability and eligible residents will then be able to select a date/time and book an appointment online. Date of birth will be required when booking an appointment to confirm vaccine eligibility.
- To register by phone, call (312) 746-4835. To help bridge the digital divide, a multi-lingual call center will be available to help seniors make an appointment. This call center will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Given the anticipated high demand for appointments, residents who can use the website should book their appointments online. While the call center has 200 staffers, those who need to use the call center will very likely experience lengthy wait times.
The site will operate seven days a week for eight weeks under the federal government’s vaccination pilot program.
