CDPH Weekly COVID-19 Update

June 22, 2022

Chicago’s COVID-19 Level is Medium, Vaccinations for kids under 5 available across city

COVID-19 Joint Information Center    media.coronavirus@cityofchicago.org

CHICAGO—The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported weekly COVID-19 statistics today and Chicago’s level on the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC’s) COVID-19 Community Levels index remains at Medium.

Following approval from federal health officials over the weekend, vaccines are now available for children age 6 months through four years old. CDPH is urging parents to get their young children vaccinated and make sure the rest of the family is up to date on COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.

“This is great news for families to finally have vaccines available for the youngest children,” said CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D. “Not only will vaccines protect our littlest ones from severe illness from the virus, but getting them vaccinated also protects other members of the household, especially parents and grandparents who may be more susceptible to severe outcomes.”

By the Numbers

Over the last week, an average of 664 Chicagoans each day had a positive laboratory test for COVID-19, down from an average of 875 new cases per day the week prior. An average of 16 Chicagoans are being hospitalized with COVID-19 each day and an average of three Chicagoans are dying from COVID-19 per week, still nearly the lowest rate of the pandemic.

Current test positivity is 10.8%, which has increased from the rate of 5.8% last week due to the significant decrease in the number of tests performed following the last day of classes at Chicago Public Schools (CPS). As a reminder, test positivity now has a reduced utility due to the widespread use of point-of-care and at-home tests. That is why the CDC’s COVID-19 Community Levels do not rely on percent positivity to measure the impact of COVID-19 illness on communities.  

All Chicago hospitals combined report 206 hospitalized patients right now with confirmed COVID-19: 182 non-ICU patients and 24 ICU patients across the whole system of more than 30 hospitals. This represents less than 3% of hospital bed capacity. For comparison, at the peak of the initial Omicron surge in early January 2022, Chicago had nearly 10 times as many patients hospitalized with COVID-19: more than 1600 non-ICU beds plus more than 300 ICU beds across Chicago hospitals were occupied by patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19.

Additional data is available on the City’s COVID-19 dashboard at chi.gov/coviddash.

Vaccinations for Kids Under 5

CDPH has been planning its vaccine roll out for children under 5 for several months. CDPH encourages parents to talk to their child’s healthcare provider and visit trusted websites such as Chicago.gov/Under5Vax to learn more about the vaccines, and make a plan to get their children vaccinated as soon as possible.

There are two vaccine options authorized for children in this youngest age group:

  • Pfizer is:
    • 3 doses
    • 1/10 of an adult dose
    • For children 6 months through 4 years
    • 3 weeks between the first two doses, third dose at least 2 months after the second
  • Moderna is:
    • 2 doses
    • 1/4 of an adult dose
    • For children 6 months through 5 years
    • 4 weeks between two doses

There are many ways for children under 5 to get vaccinated. Clinics may offer Pfizer, Moderna, or both:

  • Family health care providers – CDPH recommends families first reach out to their pediatrician or family medical provider to see if appointments are available. 
  • CDPH will partner with three Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) Blue Door Neighborhood Center  sites  in the coming months to host family vaccination clinics for anyone 6 months and up. Pfizer and Moderna will be offered. Reservations are recommended but walk-ins are also accepted. Visit the links below to view the schedule for each location and register.
    • Morgan Park – 11840 S. Marshfield 
      • June 28, July 14, July 23, July 26, August 11, August 20, September 8, October 6
    • Pullman – 756 E. 111th St.
      • June 30, July 13, July 16, July 28, August 4, August 10, August 13, September 1
    • South Lawndale – 2551 W. Cermak
      • July 1, July 29, August 3, August 27, August 31, September 6, September 24, October 4
  • CDPH will host family vaccination clinics at City Colleges of Chicago. These events will offer Pfizer and Moderna for children 6 months through 4 years old, as well as Pfizer vaccines and booster doses to all Chicagoans. All clinics will be open 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Registration is recommended and is available at the links below. Walk-ins will be accommodated as space allows.
  • Family vaccination clinics at Arturo Velasquez Institute in partnership with Alivio Medical Center five days a week (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays-Saturdays) at 2800 S. Western Ave. Walk-ins welcome. Register online or by phone at 773-254-1400.
  • Starting Saturday, June 25, CDPH’s in-home vaccination program, Protect Chicago At Home, will expand to offer Pfizer vaccine for anyone 6 months or older. Up to 10 people can be vaccinated at a time, offering a great opportunity for the entire family to get up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. Make an at-home appointment at Chicago.gov/AtHome or by calling 312-746-4835.
  • Standing CDPH immunization clinics will also offer Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for anyone 6 months and up by appointment only. This includes:
    • Uptown WIC, 845 W. Wilson Ave., 2nd Level (call 312-742-3227 for an appointment)
    • Greater Lawn WIC, 4150 W. 55th St. (call 312-745-1477 for an appointment)
  • CPS’ regional vaccination clinics and mobile vaccination events will resume in early July when CPS schools open for summer programming and will offer the vaccine for children under five. Some of CPS' School Based Health centers will also be offering vaccines to children under five. Information on specific opportunities will be available in the coming weeks and will be announced by CPS. Check cps.edu/vaccinations for more information and vaccine opportunities for CPS families. If a CPS family needs assistance with locating a Medical Home, they may also call the Healthy CPS Hotline at 773-553-KIDS (5437) for assistance.
  • Starting next week, some CDPH-sponsored community events will offer pediatric vaccinations for children under 5. For the calendar of community events, visit Chicago.gov/VaxCalendar.
  • Select children’s hospitals will host pediatric vaccine events – check hospital websites for dates and more information.

If those who need help finding a nearby site, Vaccines.gov is a free, online service that you can use to search for pharmacies and providers that offer vaccination. Residents can also call the City’s COVID-19 call center at 312-746-4835.
Parents must accompany children getting their vaccine. All COVID-19 vaccines including boosters are offered at no cost, with no insurance and no government ID required. For more information about COVID-19 vaccines in Chicago, visit Chicago.gov/COVIDvax.

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