Front-line employees first to receive vaccines
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), working closely with the City of Chicago, Chicago Department of Public Health, and Capsule, recently launched a phased program to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to all agency employees.
Public transit workers are included in Phase 1b of the City’s vaccination plan, which began last month. In accordance with public health guidance, this vaccination plan prioritizes frontline employees like bus and rail operators.
“CTA employees have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis from the very start, and they have been unwavering in their commitment to provide transit service to our communities,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “They have been unsung heroes who’ve stepped up when the city needed them the most.”
The City of Chicago tapped Capsule to partner with the CTA to provide on-site COVID-19 vaccination clinics exclusively for CTA employees. Capsule is a full-service digital pharmacy that uses end-to-end technology to enable customers to manage their medications from their phone, chat with a live pharmacist, and schedule free, same-day delivery right to their doorsteps. Capsule partners with large employers, like the CTA, to provide pharmacy services to employees, including seamless on-site vaccination clinics and appointment booking, among other employee exclusive benefits.
“Capsule pharmacy is committed to expanding on-demand access to the medications people need to stay healthy and well” said Eric Kinariwala, Founder and CEO of Capsule. “We are proud to partner with the CTA to help ensure front line transit workers, who touch the lives of millions of people in Chicago every day, get the COVID-19 vaccine. Together we can help stop the spread of the pandemic in its tracks.”
The vaccinations, using the Moderna vaccine, are offered free of charge to all CTA employees and administered at various CTA work locations. After frontline workers are vaccinated, other personnel—including maintenance, infrastructure and other operations support staff—will receive the shots. CTA has approximately 11,000 employees.
Since the start of the pandemic nearly one year ago, the CTA has placed the highest priority on the health and safety of its workers. The CTA has one of the most rigorous cleaning protocols in the industry, with buses, rail cars and stations cleaned multiple times a day. The agency has also promoted social distancing on trains and buses, and a mask requirement for all customers and employees.
More on CTA’s efforts is at transitchicago.com/coronavirus.
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