CPS to launch 3 school-based vaccination sites for students, families
CHICAGO - Chicago Public Schools is partnering with the Chicago Department of Public Health to pull out all the stops to get eligible students vaccinated.
Starting Tuesday, CPS students and their parents will have a few more places to get their shots. Three different schools will set up vaccination clinics on three separate days.
Chicago Vocational Career Academy in Avalon Park will set up a vaccination clinic on Tuesdays.
Theodore Roosevelt High School in Albany Park will offer the vaccine Wednesday, and CPS families can get their shots at Michelle Clark High School on Thursdays in the Austin neighborhood.
All of the sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on their appointed day for the rest of the summer.
According to CPS, it was an easy conversion as the schools were used as sites for staff vaccinations.
The district expects to deliver up to 600 doses per week to parents and kids at these sites.
Principal Charles Anderson at Clark High School said he hopes to get as many students vaccinated as possible.
"So I think there are people out there that are still struggling with it," he said. "But we are hoping that we can be the pivotal point to say ‘school is going to be starting back in August, let’s make sure you get vaccinated and come in safely.’ So I think we’ll get some students in, especially because we have summer programs so we’re gonna try to push it through our summer programs."
CPS says the sites will continue offering vaccinations into the school year.
There will also be a final push before starting the new school year to get kids vaccinated at "back-to-school bashes" around the city.
Currently, all students age 12 and older are eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine. Students over 18 can also receive single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccines.
All CPS students under 18 must be accompanied by a parent when they get their vaccine.
Parents can book appointments at cps.edu/vaccinations but walk-ins are also accepted.
Each site is open to any CPS family.