CHICAGO, IL — There is a simple, cost-effective solution readily available to get us herd immunity that Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot refuses to implement and acknowledge.
The “Take the Vaccine to the People” Chicago City Ordinance was introduced by Alderman Sigcho-Lopez and ten cosponsors on March 24, 2021 because vaccines are not being made accessible to many poor communities. Dr. Howard Ehrman and Dr. Barbara J. Norman, former Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) officers under Mayor Harold Washington, suggested this plan (which could be implemented in any city or state nationwide):
- Create walk up friendly, accessible sites in neighborhood schools, parks, churches, and other well-known, trusted facilities, prioritizing the 26 Chicago High COVID Vulnerability Communities, one site per square mile, staffed by new (CDPH) nurses, nursing assistants and community health organizers, recruited from the African American and Latino neighborhoods hardest hit by COVID infections and deaths. With existing CDPH staff, fixed, permanent sites would be opened 12 hours/day, 7 days/week. Residents could either walk-in without appointments or make appointment by phone or online in the neighborhood’s native language(s)**.
- Form Community Health Brigades to work door to door, to educate, organize neighborhoods, contact trace, test, and vaccinate the infirm in their homes. This initiative would rapidly achieve the 90% vaccination rate that Dr. Fauci confirmed is needed for herd immunity.
- Thirdly, Workplace Health Brigades would use OSHA COVID-19 risk guidelines to go into public and private workplaces to vaccinate workers.
Instead, here is how non-community involvement vaccination distribution works:
- 12/11/2020 — The COVID-19 vaccinations for public use were approved by the CDC.
- 12/14/2020 — The first COVID-19 vaccine given in Chicago.
- 04/20/2021 — Mayor Lightfoot bemoaned that 40% of Chicagoans have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination at her Chicago State University site visit. She noted the number drops to 25% for African Americans.
- 04/27/2021 — Dr. Allison Arwady, MD, MPH, Commissioner of the CDPH, announced that this will be the last week for walk-in appointments at United Center. Starting Tuesday.
- 05-04-2021 — the drive-thru* site will only use the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and then only for a week.
- 04/29/2021 — The mayor announced, “Our progress since COVID-19 first hit our city makes this smart, safe reopening possible. Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks fans, welcome back to the United Center! Let’s go. #OpenChicago.”
- 05-11/2021— 34.2% of Chicagoans are vaccinated. 34.2% of residents is not even close to herd immunity (The World Health Organization says you need 80-85%).
Image / City of Chicago
It is evident that the current use of private organizations and community pop-up testing and vaccination sites is not getting the job done.
It’s time to rebuild the public health department from the community. This will create more resources, so residents know the vaccines are safe and how to get them. As usual, the people know and can get what they need.
As we go to print, Dr. Howard Ehrman has just said, “156,000 CPS children need to be vaccinated by Sept. 1 before schools can open safely.”
Also as we go to print, the CDC announced fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks or maintain social distance in many indoor situations.
*Under 30% of Chicagoans own a vehicle according to governing.com.
**According to US Census data, 25 million people across all racial and ethnic groups in the US are not able to communicate well in English.
Kathy Powers is a lifetime Chicagoan. At 50, Kathy speaks out as the voice of the people. She became a revolutionary activist whose lifelong fight raises unheard voices. She is the Health Care Desk on the People’s Tribune Editorial Board.
