“Equity drives all vaccine distribution in Chicago and we want to make sure residents of communities that have been most disproportionately affected by the pandemic have access to this life-saving vaccine,” said Mayor Lori E Lightfoot in a press release on Saturday. “Over the past week, 59% of those who received at least one dose of vaccine are black or Latinx, which match the demographics of our city.”
Currently, appointment blocks have been reserved for dissemination aimed at what the city calls people living with high-need zip codes.
List of eligible postal codes
A group of members of the U.S. Democratic House in Illinois 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 the U.S. equity.
RELATED: IL politicians call for a change to United Center vaccination procedure
FEMA defended its decision saying it acted in the interests of the most vulnerable Illinois residents. But in the letter, members of Congress reminded the agency that people in the suburbs also need help.
The letter states in part: “We share and defend the goal of an equitable distribution of the vaccine … However, many of our components belonging to the vulnerable category … were frustrated with the recent determination to limit eligibility at the United Center … “
“I want to make sure that FEMA gets these vaccines to everyone in Chicago, in the 10th district, in every community in Illinois,” said U.S. Representative Brad Schneider.
The letter was signed by 11 Democratic members of the Illinois Congress.
There are also people in suburban areas who are not in Chicago where there are disadvantaged communities, ”said U.S. Representative Danny Davis, who represents Chicago and the western suburbs.
The rest of the United Center’s appointments are for people with five Chicago zip codes.
And in suburban Cook County, the western and southern areas are likely to be targeted.
The state has said FEMA has promised mobile vaccination sites in neck counties, but some suburban leaders said they have not heard anything about it yet.
“There are vulnerable people scattered everywhere,” Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said. “We have to do something more and we have to do something soon.”
Morton Grove Mayor said greater local control of distribution would help transportation problems for seniors.
“I know I would prefer our elders to come here to our local town hall or the center of the American Legion,” Morton Grove Mayor Dan DiMaria said.
These peripheral mayors said elderly people who don’t have a car or anyone to help have had to use public transportation to get the vaccine and it can take hours on the outskirts.
Cook County Health opened approximately 20,000 first COVID-19 vaccine appointments at five different vaccination sites Friday at 12 p.m., which were quickly booked.
Appointments can be made at vaccine.cookcountyil.gov or by calling the Cook County Call Center at 833-308-1988, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sites include:
– Tinley Park Convention Center (Modern)
– Triton College (Pfizer)
– South Suburban College (Pfizer)
– North Riverside Health Center (Pfizer)
– Des Plaines * (Pfizer – week of March 15)
* Due to limited supply of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Cook County Health will provide the Pfizer vaccine to Des Plaines the week of March 15th.
SEE ALSO | Cook County Health sends texts requesting confirmation of the vaccine before some appointments of the second dose
All vaccinations can only be made by appointment. Residents will be required to provide evidence 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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