CDPH Joins Univision Wellness Expo

CDPH will participate in Univision's first Family Wellness Expo Chicago 2025 this Saturday, March 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Malcolm X College, providing free flu and COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older. CDPH's Dr. Francisco Rodriguez will speak about the importance of mental health, wellness and CDPH mental health services. This event is free for the public, but registration is requested. For more information, visit the event website.

Confirm Your Measles Vaccine Status

Measles is highly contagious; if one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not immune. It can also cause severe disease, long-term complications, and — in rare cases — death. The best protection against measles is the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which provides long-lasting protection.

All Chicagoans are encouraged to review their immunization records or contact their healthcare provider to make sure they are up to date on MMR vaccine. Immunization records recorded in the Illinois immunization registry can be accessed using the Illinois Department of Public Health Vax Verify portal.

CDPH offers MMR vaccinations for anyone who needs them, regardless of insurance status, at CDPH Immunization Clinics throughout the city. Walk-ins are welcome, but registration is highly encouraged. Create an account and register for an appointment at getvaxchi.chicago.gov or by calling the clinic.

Little Village Faith-Based Vaccine Clinic

CDPH is hosting a faith-based vaccination clinic this Sunday, March 30, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Agnes of Bohemia, located at 2651 S Central Park Avenue in the Little Village neighborhood.

This clinic aims to provide free vaccines for community members to protect against several serious illnesses. CDPH staff will be available to administer vaccines for measles, COVID-19, flu, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), helping ensure the health and safety of residents in the area.

The clinic is open to individuals of all ages, and no appointment is necessary. However, registration is encouraged to help streamline the process. To register, please call 773-522-0142.

Women's History Month

This week for Women's History Month, we highlight Chandra Logan, a Supervising Public Health Nurse for Family Connects Chicago. Family Connects Chicago is a free, in-home nurse visit available to all families that live in Chicago and deliver babies at participating hospitals, including foster parents, adoptive parents, families experiencing a loss, and families who already have other children.

With over 30 years of experience serving the City of Chicago as a public health nurse, Ms. Logan embodies the compassionate spirit behind Family Connects Chicago. When asked about her favorite thing about her work, she says, "I enjoy the babies." Born and raised on Chicago's South Side, Ms. Logan dedicated her career to public health, starting as a nurse in 1993, and joining the Chicago Department of Public Health in 2007, after obtaining her nursing degrees from City Colleges of Chicago and Chicago State University. Ms. Logan hopes that in the future, at-home visits will be normalized, ensuring the long-term health and well-being of families.

The primary aim of Family Connects is to improve the long-term health outcomes of new moms and newborns in every community by providing support and resources in the first few weeks following the birth of baby. So far, the program has served 11,949 families, completing 4,100 home visits in 2024, and offering a holistic approach to family support, extending beyond medical checks to provide emotional and practical resources.

Healthy Chicago Podcast

“The zip code you either are born in or you live in should not dictate how long you live. Period.”

Dion Dawson's Chicago Dream saved his life. During the pandemic, Dawson was broke, angry, and disillusioned by a system that had not advanced in providing food equity and accessibility since he was a transient, sometimes homeless five-year-old child. In 2020, out of that trauma-filled frustration Dawson created — with the assistance of his wife, mom, and friends — Dion's Chicago Dream, an organization and movement to consistently feed as many folks in need as possible with fresh and healthy food.

Since that inception, Dawson built a nonprofit social enterprise to combat food inequity and improve health outcomes of the population by centering the experience on the recipients. The organization has provided more than three million pounds of fruits and vegetables for those who need it, in what he calls the “opposite of the pantry model.” With an impact that has seen them purchase, pack and deliver every single pound and create almost 50 wage-paying jobs, the Dream Team is nowhere near done.

Learn more about Dion's Chicago Dream.

Listen or watch the newest episodes on YouTube, Spotify, Apple and the CDPH website.

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