Cook County Increasing Vaccination Efforts In Southern and Western Suburbs

Cook County Board of Commissioners 
Health & Hospitals System Committee Meeting
March 16, 2021

Following two public comments urging that additional vaccination sites be set up in the western and southern suburbs, coincidentally, the presentations by both the Department of Emergency Management & Regional Security and the Department of Public Health (“DPH”) focused on the criteria that has been used in establishing County-sponsored vaccination sites in the suburbs and how this is changing.  Both Departments acknowledged the need to provide more vaccination opportunities in the southern and western suburbs and said that they expect, with the promised increase in vaccination doses, to be able to do so.

• Executive Director of Emergency Management William Barnes explained that the County started by looking at large sites in order to be able to get as many shots in arms as possible.  Convention Centers were looked to, such as the one in Tinley Park.  Began rethinking as heard from communities wanting their own sites, as well as the Federal and State governments now also wanting to be involved.
• Currently looking at large commercial sites, such as big box stores, which are located all over the County and are very flexible (can use large or small areas as required), have lots of parking, generally are easy to locate, and often accessible by public transportation (all key factors).
• But also looking at other alternatives:  know that while about 40% of people happy to go to large sites, the rest prefer smaller sites.
• CEO of Cook County Health Israel Rocha, Jr. said that currently there are more people wanting the vaccine than those needing more education about it.  He touted the number of contacts from residents to the vaccine web site, www.vaccine.cookcountyil.gov, and the vaccine hotline, 1-833-308-1988.
• Dr. Kran Joshi reported that 18% of suburban residents have received at least 1 vaccine shot and 9% have received 2. 
• A Mobile Vaccination Strategy is in place to help reach more places, with a pilot successfully conducted in Maywood recently.  More are scheduled.
• Dr. Rachel Rubin reported that the DPH finally has a significant workforce in place to do contact tracing.
• DPH presented its 1st quarter report (Item 21-0798) which focused on its grants of $5 million to 42 community organizations to help educate and vaccinate people and of $1 million to 5 worker centers to help reach temporary workers over the 6-month period from Dec. thru May.  With more funds coming, DPH expects to continue the efforts through the end of 2021.

DPH also told the Commissioners that it had received reaccreditation in Feb. for the next 5 years.

Priscilla Mims, Observer