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“Equity is the engine of all vaccine distribution in Chicago, and we want to ensure that residents of communities that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic have access to this life-saving vaccine,” said the mayor. Lori E. Lightfoot in a press release Saturday. “As of last week, 59 percent of those who received at least one dose of the vaccine were Black or Latinx, which matches our city’s demographics.”
Currently, appointment blocks have been set aside for targeted outreach to what the city calls people living in very needy postcodes.
List of eligible postal codes
A group of Democratic U.S. House members from Illinois on Friday sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency criticizing its decision to restrict appointments to residents of Chicago and Cook County on behalf of equity objectives.
RELATED: IL Politicians Demand Change in United Center Vaccination Procedure
FEMA defended its decision saying it was acting in the best interests of Illinois’ most vulnerable. But in the letter, members of Congress reminded the agency that people in the suburbs also need help.
The letter reads in part: “We share and defend the goal of equitable distribution of the vaccine … Nonetheless, many of our constituents who fall into the vulnerable category … have felt frustrated by the recent determination of limit eligibility to the United Center. … “
“I want to make sure FEMA gets these vaccines to everyone in Chicago, in the 10th district, in all of the communities in Illinois,” said US Representative Brad Schneider.
The letter was signed by 11 Democratic members of Congress from Illinois.
There are also people in the suburbs who are not in Chicago where there are disadvantaged communities, ”said US Representative Danny Davis, who represents Chicago and the western suburbs.
Other United Center appointments are directed to people in five Chicago zip codes.
And in the suburb of Cook County, the western and southern areas will likely be targeted.
The state said FEMA had promised mobile vaccination sites in the pass counties, but some suburban leaders said they hadn’t heard anything about it yet.
“There are vulnerable people scattered everywhere,” said Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering. “We have to do something more, and we have to do something soon.”
The mayor of Morton Grove said more local control of distribution would help address transportation issues for the elderly.
“I know I would prefer our elders to come here to our local village hall or the American Legion center,” said Morton Grove mayor Dan DiMaria.
These suburban mayors said older people who don’t have a car or no one to help have had to use public transport to get vaccinated, and in the suburbs it can take hours.
Cook County Health opened about 20,000 appointments for the first-dose COVID-19 vaccine at five different vaccination sites on Friday at 12 p.m., which were quickly booked.
Appointments can be made at vaccine.cookcountyil.gov or by calling the Cook County Health call center at 833-308-1988, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The sites include:
– Tinley Park Convention Center (Moderna)
– Triton College (Pfizer)
– Southern Suburban College (Pfizer)
– North Riverside Health Center (Pfizer)
– Des Plaines * (Pfizer – week of March 15)
* Due to the limited supply of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Cook County Health will deliver the Pfizer vaccine to Des Plaines the week of March 15.
SEE ALSO | Cook County Health sends text messages asking for vaccine confirmation before certain second dose appointments
All vaccinations are only by appointment. Residents must provide proof that they are in phase 1A or 1B.
As with all Cook County Health sites, second dose appointments will be scheduled on site during the first dose appointment.
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