Chicago's United Center Will Open For Mass Vaccinations March 10

CHICAGO — A federal mass vaccination site will open at the United Center on Chicago's Near West Side March 10, state and federal officials announced Friday.

The site will be one of several Community Vaccination Centers piloted by the Biden administration across the country, and will have the capacity to administer 6,000 doses per day, according to a news release. The doses will be provided directly by the federal government and will not count against allotments delivered to the city or state. Which vaccines are administered — Pfizer's, Moderna's or a potential third from Johnson & Johnson — will depend on availability.

Illinois is the fifth state in the nation to receive such a federally managed site.

Officials said vaccinations will be by appointment only, and seniors will have first dibs on shots. After an early-access period for those 65 and older, remaining shots will be available to other Illinois residents eligible under the state's Phase 1b plus guidelines.

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Phase 1b includes anyone with a medical condition that puts them at increased risk for the coronavirus disease, in addition to seniors, first responders and essential workers.

Walk-through vaccinations are expected to be held in a "tent city" in parking lots outside the United Center. Preparations are underway, and demand is expected to be high. The center is expected to operate seven days a week for at least eight weeks.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said appointments would open before March 10, but he didn't know how long the early-access period for seniors would run.

Officials said the Biden administration selected the United Center because of its ability to handle large crowds and its location in an underserved community.

“The United Center is one of the best locations for vaccinating large numbers of people in America: it’s easy to get to, is in the midst of a medically underserved community, can handle large crowds and is well known to everyone in Illinois,” Pritzker in a statement announcing the program. “Thanks to FEMA, the United Center is just our most recent among a growing number of state-supported mass vaccination location for residents. To date, the Illinois National Guard has launched 15 state-supported sites, including locations in Springfield, Rockford, Carbondale and Metro East — and that’s on top of mass vax sites operated by our 97 local health departments. I am deeply grateful to the Biden-Harris administration for working closely with us to bring on this high-capacity site, and I’m particularly proud that we’ve worked together to prioritize seniors in this process, moving us that much closer to putting this pandemic to an end.”

RELATED: 110K United Center Vaccination Appointments To Open For Seniors

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, will manage the mass vaccination site, with support from the Department of Defense and state and local governments, according to a news release.

“The federal government is committed to the equitable distribution of vaccines across the country and in the state of Illinois,” said acting FEMA regional administrator Kevin M. Sligh. “The goal of establishing these joint federal pilot centers is to continue expanding the rate of vaccinations, with an explicit focus on socially vulnerable or underrepresented communities.”

In a statement Friday morning, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called the vaccination site a "game-changer" for Chicago, adding, "This is what Presidential leadership looks like."

Speaking at an afternoon news conference, Lightfoot said the city will partner with ride-hailing service Uber to get seniors to the United Center, and asked everyone to help get seniors signed up when registration opens.

"We need moms, dads, grandma, grandpas, your neighbor, you're auntie, your mother's cousin, anybody who could lend a hand to our seniors. We need to get them there, and we need to get them vaccinated," Lightfoot said. "Let's call this our SOS moment. Support our seniors. We'll continue to be committed to our all-important city-wide equity strategy, but we need to also focus in these next few weeks on supporting our seniors. This is our SOS call to action for them."

The state has also launched 15 mass vaccination sites run by the Illinois National Guard, in addition to programs administered by local health departments, hospitals and pharmacies. Officials said 2.5 million doses of the vaccine have been administered so far across the state, and about one in seven Illinoisans have received at least a first dose.

"In just the first five weeks of this new administration, the White House has nearly doubled the weekly supply of doses coming to states via direct shipments and other programs like the federal retail pharmacy program," Pritzker said. "About a year ago the United Center was hosting PPE drives and serving as a supportive warehouse helping the greater Chicago food depository provide meals for tens of thousands who are out of work and in need of help, and less than two weeks from now, it will serve as a mass vaccination site, once again alleviating the burden on tens of thousands of Illinoisans and moving us that much closer to putting this pandemic to an end."

Illinois' Democratic senators, Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, thanked the Biden administration for funding the mass vaccination site and said more help would be on the way if the president's proposed $1.9 trillion rescue plan passes Congress. It is scheduled for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday.

"You hear all the conversations in Washington about all the billions and trillions of dollars, and you must stop and ask yourself once in a while will we ever see any of that in Illinois? Is there any evidence that that money is going to make it here and make a difference?" Durbin said at the news conference Friday. "This is evidence of it. The $800 million invested here was part of a $900 billion bill we passed just a few weeks ago in December. And more help is on the way if Congress responds favorably to President Biden's request."

Durbin said the first item in the bill is more money for vaccine distribution.

"I want people to realize that what we're debating now in the American rescue plan is even more investment in vaccines and distribution centers, just like this one. The faster we can get people vaccinated, the more quickly we can escape the grip that this pandemic has had on our nation for so long, the less likely we're going to see mutations and variations [of the virus]."

Register for an appointment at the United Center online at zocdoc.com/vaccine or by phone at 312-746-4835, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

"I hope you're feeling what I'm feeling, and it's hope," Gov. Pritzker said. "Things are getting better, and someday — not too far from now — we will be at the United Center not for a lifesaving shot but for a game-winning shot. In the meantime, mask up, keep helping each other out, and we will get through this together."