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04.22.21 | Sage Advice

Chicago COVID-19 Vaccination: Where We’re At Now

As part of Sage Collective’s ongoing campaign to provide vital information regarding the COVID-19 virus, variants and vaccine to our community, we’re taking a closer look COVID-19 vaccination in Chicago, and where things stand today.

Open Eligibility

After a presidential decree stating that all U.S. adults should be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on April 19th, Chicago made it happen. This past Monday, Chicago joined the rest of Illinois (and the nation), opening vaccination appointments to all residents 16+ years of age. 

This move came just a week after Governor Pritzker announced that all Chicagoans were welcome to travel out to the suburbs to receive a vaccination dose, starting on Monday, April 12th, if they weren’t yet eligible in the city. 

Finding Your Shot

Now, Chicagoans are in a position where they can turn to local city vaccination sites to receive their shot — or they have the option to travel out to a nearby suburb if appointments in the city are hard to come by. 

To find a vaccine appointment in Chicago, you can use the city’s vaccine finder here. For those that are less inclined to use online technology, you also have the option of calling the city’s COVID-19 Help Line at 312-746-4835. Vaccine appointments can also be made at Costco Pharmacies, CVS, Jewel Osco, Mariano’s, and Walgreens. 

To find a vaccine appointment in Illinois, you can use the state’s vaccine finder here. You can also call the Illinois Department of Health Hotline at 833-621-1284 for assistance booking your appointment.

A Quick Word on Johnson & Johnson

With distrust of the vaccine already widespread, many were alarmed when distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was temporarily halted by the CDC and FDA. However, the number of those that experience side effects is slim, and the CDC and FDA continue to closely monitor the situation out of an abundance of caution. The City of Chicago’s official statement reads: 

“As of April 12, more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine have been administered in the U.S. CDC and FDA are reviewing 6 cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine. We are monitoring the situation and in communication with federal partners. As we wait to learn more, we are not administering or scheduling the J&J appointments. We will continue to update as more information is available.” 

Where We’re At Now

Nearly 40% of Chicago residents 18 and older have received at least one dose. Meanwhile, that statistic falls to just 25% of all Black Chicagoans. As COVID-19 cases continue to spike in Chicago, the dangerous and disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the Black community persists — while the city’s test positivity rate sat at 5.5% as of Tuesday, that number rises to 7.9% among Black Chicagoans.

As city and state officials continue to urge all residents to receive their vaccine, it becomes necessary for those officials to make a concerted effort to provide information and resources to communities of color, and to remain cognizant of the justifiable mistrust our nation’s history of public health inequity has sowed. 

At Sage Collective, we remain committed to keeping our community up-to-date with the latest information and insights. Stay tuned for more.

Orange traffic cones line a curb, with signs tied to them reading "Covid vaccine clinic parking only."
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