Safety & Care in the COVID Era

Safety & Care in the COVID Era

Whether or not you have been vaccinated against COVID, you may have questions.

We at Stand Illinois are decidedly pro-vaccine. We also recognize the range of views on this topic, including the confusion and fear based on generations of systemic racism and injustice. If we are to build a brighter future for us all, we must look for the places where we can find common ground together.

COVID-19 and its variants have reached most deeply into communities of color and under-resourced areas. In Chicago, these neighborhoods also have lower COVID-19 vaccination rates, including among children, and higher recent COVID-19 hospitalization rates.

The fact remains that vaccination rates across the city vary widely by school and neighborhood. A data analysis by Chalkbeat revealed that majority Black high schools had an average vaccination rate of 28%, compared to majority Latino high schools’ average of 57%. Opt-in rates for school-based testing also vary widely, with some South and West Side schools having fewer than five students opted in. This gaping disparity shows the need for resources and ease-of-access to COVID vaccines and tests.

Tommorrow Snyder, Stand’s Community & Family Partnerships Director, shared her personal COVID story in a blog and related videos. She discusses her own experiences living with long-COVID and getting the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as the work she leads in spreading the word about resources and information related to vaccine and testing access.

Partners in Health and the Chicagoland Vaccine Partnership have compiled a number of resources for Chicagoans to help protect themselves and their families. You can find some of these resources here:

• Educate your community about vaccines
• Get a $100 Visa gift card for vaccination at a Community Health Center
  • Access Community Health Network
  • Erie Family Health Centers
  • Esperanza Health Centers
  • Howard Brown Health
  • Lawndale Christian Health Center
• Find a vaccine at a school based health center
  • Theodore Roosevelt High School, 3436 W. Wilson Ave.
  • Michele Clark High School, 5101 W. Harrison St.
  • Richards Career Academy, 5030 S. Bishop St.
  • Chicago Vocational Career Academy, 2100 E. 87th St.
  • Learn more: https://www.cps.edu/services-and-supports/covid-19-resources
• Find a vaccine at a pharmacy
  • Walgreens: Register online or call your local Walgreens or 1-800-WALGREENS (1-800-925-4733)
  • CVS: Register online or call your local CVS or 1-800-679-9691
  • Mariano’s: Register online
  • Walmart: Call 833-886-0023, Option 1
  • Chicago Costco Pharmacies: Register online for an appointment or call a pharmacy directly

Our thanks to Partners in Health for these resources and for convening the Chicagoland Vaccine Partnership.