The federal government is opening pilot Community Vaccination Centers across the country. When the United Center site opens on March 10, it will have the capacity to administer 6,000 doses per day, all of which will be provided directly by the federal government and not taken out of the state or city’s allotment, officials said.

The site will be by appointment only.

Seniors will have first access to appointments before the site opens, and if appointments remain available after seniors have had their exclusive registration period, any remaining available slots will be open to any Illinoisans eligible under the state’s guidelines.

After the launch on March 10, registration will continue to be open for all Illinoisans eligible in the state’s Phase 1B+.

Preparations and buildout of the United Center Community Vaccination Center are now under way. Information about where and how to make appointments will be available in coming days. Demand is anticipated to be high.

The United Center will be open to all Illinois residents currently eligible to be vaccinated under the state guidelines and will be managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency with support from the Department of Defense, state of Illinois, Cook County and the city of Chicago.

The United Center site builds on an expanding network of state-supported sites operating across southern, central and northern Illinois.

In a news release issued today, officials said the United Center location is one of the best places in the country to advance key equity priorities through its proximity to medically underserved communities and goals of reaching those most vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus.

“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,” Gov. JB Pritzker said.

“The federal government is committed to the equitable distribution of vaccines across the country and in the state of Illinois,” said Kevin M. Sligh, acting regional administrator, FEMA Region 5. “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.”

“The opening of the federal mass vaccination site at the United Center brings us another step forward in our equity-centered COVID-19 vaccination plan,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.”From our seniors to the communities hardest hit by the pandemic, we will not stop until we get shots into the arms of our residents who patiently wait to see the light at the end of this pandemic.”

This federal pilot site will not divert allocations from other jurisdictions, as vaccine will be provided direct by the federal government to the site. The site will operate seven days a week for eight weeks under the federal government’s vaccination pilot program.

Officials said the United Center was selected in coordination with state, county and city partners to fulfill the U.S. government’s commitment to expanding the rate of vaccinations across the country in an efficient, effective and equitable manner, with a keen focus on making sure that communities with a high risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection are not left behind.

In addition to the United Center, Illinois has 15 state-supported mass vaccination sites already open across the state. These sites are currently open to any eligible resident via appointment.

For more information on how to make an appointment to receive the vaccine, updates on the state’s plan and eligibility, and answers to frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, go to coronavirus.illinois.gov.

Illinois Mass Vaccination Sites