Posted on February 4, 2021

Chicago began Phase 1b of vaccination on Monday, January 25, but vaccine supply is limited and patience will be key. We expect it to take at least through February and March for frontline essential workers to get their first dose of vaccine because of limited supply and the number of providers who are able to administer the vaccine. Employers with employees in prioritized essential worker groups have three main ways to help their employees get vaccinated:

• Enroll as a vaccinator. Your facility must meet several requirements to enroll your site as a vaccinator, so this option is best for large facilities with healthcare staff. For more information, visit www.chicago.gov/covidvax and go to the Employers tab.
• Partner with a vaccinator. If you have partnered with a pharmacy or clinic to offer onsite flu clinics in the past, please reach out to existing contacts first to schedule vaccination. Please note that these services are in high demand. This option is recommended for businesses with more than 250 employees. A short list of third-party providers is also available at www.chicago.gov/covidvax on the Employers tab.
• City of Chicago POD sites. If you represent an essential business with less than 250 employees in all Chicago locations, you can fill out this survey for vaccination at a City of Chicago Point of Dispensing (POD) site. Only one representative from the business (e.g. the business owner or other management) should complete the survey on behalf of all employees. Include all employees, including temporary or contract staff when completing this survey.

The survey is for businesses in one of the following industries:

• Phase 1b priority – food and agriculture (including veterinary health), manufacturing, grocery stores, public transit, education, child care
• Phase 1c priority – transportation and logistics, waste and wastewater, food service, construction, finance, information technology and communications, energy, legal, media, public safety

Employees can also get vaccinated through their health care provider, including their primary care provider, health clinic, or hospital where they have received medical care in the past, or their pharmacy. Please note that most health care providers will be giving priority to those ages 65 years and older. Employees should reach out directly to their providers to schedule appointments. Pharmacies each have their own registration link.

Some of your workers may be hesitant to get the vaccine. Before they agree to be vaccinated, they will want answers to their questions about the process for developing these vaccines and information about safety and effectiveness. You can help inform your workers about the vaccines and help them feel confident when they decide to get vaccinated.

These COVID-19 Vaccine communication resources were created by the City of Chicago to help you provide clear, consistent, and credible information about COVID-19 vaccines to your employees.

Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools we have available, and now we have a powerful new tool—vaccines. When you support COVID-19 vaccination, you are helping to protect against COVID-19 in your business.

(Information provided by Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection)