Final City College Vaccine Clinic This Weekend

Holiday season is here, and CDPH is reminding Chicagoans to get their updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine and annual flu shot to help stay healthy through the festive season. 

CDPH will host its final Family Vaccination Clinic for the year this Saturday, November 23 at Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Jackson Blvd. The clinic will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and no-cost vaccines are available to everyone age 6 months and up, regardless of insurance or immigration status. Walk-ins are welcome, but registration is encouraged.

Getting the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine is important because protection from COVID-19 vaccine decreases over time, and the updated vaccine gives you the best protection against currently circulating strains of the virus. Keep yourself healthy this holiday season!

First U.S. Case of Mpox Clade I in California

The first U.S. case of clade I mpox has been identified in California. This strain is different from clade II, the type of mpox we've seen in Chicago and across the U.S. since 2022. While clade I historically causes more severe illness, recent cases show much lower death rates when treated early.

There are no reported cases of clade I mpox in Chicago, and the risk of clade I mpox to the public in the United States remains low.

However, mpox remains a public health issue. The viral infection is spread through close, personal contact with someone who has symptoms of mpox. The mpox vaccine is the best protection, and the CDC recommends that everyone with risk factors talk to a health provider and receive two doses of the vaccine.

Recommendations from the CDC include:

• Talk to your health care provider about the mpox vaccination if you plan to travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, or Burundi, preferably several weeks prior to travel.
• People with risk factors for mpox infection who are not able to be vaccinated (e.g., pregnant people, infants less than 1 year, people with eczema or active skin conditions, and people who are immunocompromised) should avoid situations that might increase their risk for mpox, such as close skin to skin contact and intimate sexual contact. Casual contact, like you might have during travel, is unlikely to pose significant risks for transmission of mpox.
• Avoid close contact with people who have skin or genital lesions and avoid contact with contaminated materials (such as clothing, bedding, toothbrushes, sex toys, or materials used in healthcare settings), especially if you travel to areas with mpox cases.
• Seek medical care immediately and avoid contact with others if you have been in the DRC or its neighboring countries in the last 21 days and develop a new, unexplained skin rash (lesions on any part of the body), with or without fever and chills.

For tips to stay safe, especially if traveling to affected regions, visit chicago.gov/mpox and cdc.gov/mpox.

Pilsen Health Hub Ribbon Cutting

Mayor Brandon Johnson was joined yesterday by 24th Ward Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 33rd Ward Alderman Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, CDPH First Deputy Commissioner Fikirte Wagaw, Deputy Commissioner of Behavioral and Mental Health Matt Richards and Pilsen and Chicago community residents for the ribbon cutting ceremony for CDPH's Pilsen South Ashland Health Hub. The Health Hub officially opened to Pilsen residents on Monday, October 28.

The Health Hub offers no-cost mental health services for adults and youth, and no-cost vaccinations for uninsured, underinsured, Medicaid, or CHIP-insured children aged 0-18, as well as free flu and COVID-19 vaccines for uninsured or underinsured adults. The ribbon cutting marks a significant step towards improving health equity in the Pilsen community.

Visit the Pilsen South Ashland Health Hub website for more information.

Healthy Chicago Podcast

During Antibiotic Awareness Week, it's important to understand antibiotic stewardship and what it means to prevent antimicrobial resistance. Listen to this episode of Healthy Chicago Podcast with Dr. Star Cervantes, Dr. Stephanie Black (Chief Medical Officer and Director of Disease Control Bureau with CDPH), and Dr. Michelle Funk (Medical Director for Healthcare and Congregate Settings at CDPH).

Some quick tips from CDPH to be good stewards of preventing antimicrobial resistance:

• Consult your family healthcare providers (including your veterinarian) to see if antibiotics are needed when you (or your pet) get sick.
• Finish courses of antimicrobial therapy, when they are given.
• Don't take antimicrobial therapy if you don't need it.
• Get vaccinated.
• Wash your hands regularly.

Learn more about antimicrobial resistance on the CDC website, and tune in to the newest episodes of Healthy Chicago on the CDPH website and all major platforms:

YouTube / Spotify / Apple

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