January 2022
Letter from the CEO
Dear Cook County Health Friends and Partners,
 
With demand for COVID-19 vaccines increasing during the Omicron variant surge, and appointments for vaccination in short supply, Cook County Health is re-opening three large-scale community vaccination sites.

While our local supply of vaccine has remained steady, we know that appointments for people to get vaccinated are not as accessible. We re-opened these community vaccination sites to alleviate demand on local pharmacies and doctor’s offices and create new opportunities for people to get vaccinated quickly and easily. You can read more about these sites here from the Chicago Sun Times and here from ABC 7.

On our first day at the Forest Park site, we vaccinated more than 520 individuals. In all, CCH has administered more than 958,000 vaccine doses. Despite the highly contagious Omicron variant, we know that vaccines remain our best line of defense against COVID-19 infection, particularly with a booster shot.
We need to continue to speak with our constituencies about the importance of getting vaccinated and getting boosted. You will read below about a couple of ways we are asking for your help-- sharing your thoughts and spreading the word.

Together, we have accomplished a lot and we are grateful for your support. While work remains, we are confident that we are putting our best efforts forth to make COVID-19 vaccines equitable and accessible for all.

Please share the information below with the communities you serve. The last two years have been unprecedented and providing the latest information on the COVID-19 virus is critical to ensuring a healthy Cook County. For more information about the COVID-19 vaccines or to find a vaccination site, visit MyShotCookCounty.com or call 833-308-1988.

Sincerely,
Israel Rocha, Jr.
CEO
Cook County Health Re-opens 3 Vaccination Sites 
Cook County leaders spoke with the media prior to the opening of the Forest Park vaccination site.
The first day of vaccines at the Matteson site saw steady crowds looking for boosters, and first and second doses.
With support from the State of Illinois and Cook County, Cook County Health is re-opening mass vaccination sites in Forest Park, Matteson and Des Plaines.

The sites are located at:
 
  • 7630 West Roosevelt Road, Forest Park 
  • Opened January 18
 
  • 4647 Promenade Way, Matteson
  • Opened January 20 
 
  • 1155 East Oakton Street, Des Plaines
  • Opening Saturday, January 22

Hours of operation for all mass vaccination locations will be Tuesday through Saturday, 8 am to 6 pm, and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. Hours are subject to change. See MyShotCookCounty.com for the latest details.

Individuals who make an appointment via vaccine.cookcountyil.gov will be prioritized. Walk-ins will also be welcome on a first come first served basis.

Anyone age 5 and older should get vaccinated. Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be offered at all sites, and individuals will be able to receive primary vaccinations or booster shots.

Booster shots are recommended for all people ages 12 and older and are to be given 5 months after a person’s second shot of Pfizer or Moderna. Individuals who received a single dose of Johnson & Johnson are encouraged to get a booster shot, preferably of Pfizer or Moderna, two months later.

Across suburban Cook County, 80 percent of residents have gotten at least one dose vaccine, but less than 40 percent have received a booster shot.

Booster shots are essential to increase the body’s ability to fight COVID-19 infection.

“While there may be breakthrough cases of COVID-19 in vaccinated individuals, with the booster, we’re able to generate enough antibodies to protect people against the progression of their infection and disease, to keep them out of the hospital and keep them from dying,” said Dr. Greg Huhn, CCH Vaccine Coordinator and infectious disease physician. 
Take a 5 Minute Survey to Provide Feedback on Cook County's Vaccination Campaign
During this current COVID-19 surge, we are redoubling our efforts to get every eligible person in Cook County vaccinated. To this end, we are reaching out to community leaders such as yourself to get your insight and feedback on how to reach those in the community who remain vaccinated. This survey takes no more than 5-7 minutes to complete. Your answers can remain confidential unless you choose to share your name with us. Please click here to take the survey.

The information we receive will help inform the next iteration of the My Shot Cook County campaign. My campaign is a collaboration of Cook County Government, Cook County Health and the Cook County Department of Public Health to encourage Cook County residents to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Over the course of the pandemic, Cook County has educated the public about COVID-19, conducted contact tracing to help reduce the spread of the virus, set up mass vaccination sites and pop-up events and partnered with hundreds of organizations to ensure access to vaccines in the most vulnerable communities. 
Spread the Word and Keep Our Communities Safe 

We regularly receive inquiries from elected officials and stakeholders about how they can help provide information about COVID safety and the importance of vaccination with their constituencies. 

If you would like to help us share information about how to stay safe during this surge, visit MyShotCookCounty.com/spread-the-word to download the latest social media graphics that can be shared via individual accounts and pages.

CCH has also created videos in a variety of languages featuring physicians talking about COVID-19 vaccination. You can find those videos on CCH’s YouTube page and share the video links.

To get the latest data about COVID-19 cases in suburban Cook County and vaccination rates, visit the Cook County Department of Public Health’s shiny app.
Cook County Health in the News
Visit our website at cookcountyhealth.org
If you would like to invite a representative from CCH to attend a community event, please send an email to events@cookcountyhhs.org.
  
To provide feedback on CCH Community News, update your contact information, or unsubscribe, please email Marcelino Garcia, Director of Community Affairs, at mgarcia6@cookcountyhhs.org.