Chicago Walmart stores begin vaccinating Illinois residents
CHICAGO - Walmart stores in Chicago have just begun vaccinating hundreds of people per day.
It is part of a national distribution strategy to have as many coronavirus vaccination centers as possible.
On Tuesday, 66-year-old Lolita Collier got the shot she has been waiting for in a new mass immunization clinic at her neighborhood Walmart.
"I wanted to be safe with the senior that I work for. So I decided in order for me to be safe, then I need to take the vaccine," Collier said.
The Walmart store at North Avenue and Cicero is one of eight Walmart in the city of Chicago now offering the COVID vaccine.
The location is able to provide 175 doses a day -- limited only by supply.
"Everything is being handled by the state, that’s what I’ll say about that," said Walmart Wellness Director Sarah Sultan. "We’re getting what they give us."
This store sits in the middle of a large minority population, which has been hit hard by COVID.
Yet, the majority of people getting vaccinated here are from other parts of the city or the suburbs, which is something 37th Ward Alderman Emma Mitts would like to see change.
"It’s good for outsiders, cause the world has to vaccinate everyone. But why don’t we take advantage of it when it’s right in our back door?" she said.
Ben Steele drove from Wheaton to get his shot.
"My wife’s pregnant so we were super happy to get these for both of us," he said.
If you are among the groups eligible to receive the vaccine, you can sign up at Walmart.com\CovidVaccine. Then, pick a designated time and store. Walmart hopes to be able to expand the vaccination program to suburban stores in the coming weeks.