Chicago hospital has vaccine doses pulled after giving preferential treatment to Trump Towers' workers

The City of Chicago has pulled COVID-19 vaccine doses from a hospital that improperly offered vaccines to Trump Towers staff, residents and Cook County judges.

According to Block Club Chicago, a city spokesperson has confirmed COVID vaccine doses have been pulled from Loretta Hospital and that it "will not receive first doses until we can confirm their vaccination strategies and reporting practices meet all [Chicago Department of Public Health] requirements."

As previously reported by Alternet, "the staff of the luxury hotel all received vaccinations under a program dubbed the Protect Chicago Plus campaign, which was designed to "target residents of 15 community areas on the city's South and West sides hit hard by COVID-19."

Dr. Anosh Ahmed, the hospital's chief operating officer is also facing backlash after boasting about vaccinating former President Donald Trump's son, Eric Trump. The hospital is also said to have improperly vaccinated a number of ineligible Cook County judges and their spouses.

In wake of the latest controversy, Chicago Mayor Lor Lightfoot (D) on Thursday, March 18 released a statement as she criticized vaccine providers who have blatantly disregarded the Chicago Department of Public Health's COVID vaccine distribution guidelines.

"Our city will not tolerate providers who blatantly disregard the Chicago Department of Public Health's distribution guidelines for the COVID-19 vaccine," Lightfoot said. "Unfortunately, in recent days, stories have surfaced alleging providers who had an obligation to follow CDPH guidelines, ignored those restrictions, and instead allowed well-connected individuals to jump the line to receive the vaccine instead of using it to service people who were more in need.

Lightfoot added, "CDPH is looking into these matters, and if they identify providers who aren't following the guidance, they will deny them future allocations of vaccine."

The city also issued a warning to other COVID vaccine providers. "The city of Chicago is no longer providing vaccine doses to providers who were found to have disregarded and not adhered to the below prioritization guidelines," the city said. "Providers who knowingly disregard or whose patient prioritization and outreach practices do not effectively adhere to the prioritization guidelines will be ineligible for further city of Chicago vaccine doses."

It added, "Providers who do not enter doses into I-CARE or inventory into Vaccine Finder in a timely manner will also be ineligible for City of Chicago vaccine doses moving forward."