Thinking about going solar?
Don't miss Grow Solar Chicagoland
With energy costs rising, now is the perfect time to explore the benefits of solar energy to save money on utility bills.
For a third year, Cook County is co-sponsoring Grow Solar Chicagoland, a solar group buy program run by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association and Citizens Utility Board. This program makes solar more affordable and easier to attain for Chicagoland residents through community education and volume purchasing. The more residents who participate, the lower the cost. The program will close on Friday, September 30, 2022.
Since the program began, 114 Cook County residents installed a total of 743 kW of solar through the program.
Learn more about solar energy for your home and about the Grow Solar program by attending a free Solar Power Hour presentation.
Topics covered include:
--how to participate in Grow Solar Chicagoland
--the basics of solar market trends
--financials
--how to tell if a site is suitable for solar
The first webinar is currently scheduled for June 2 at 6:30 p.m.
Learn More
To learn more about the program visit www.growsolar.org/chicagoland.
BOOSTER SHOT UPDATES
Additional booster guidance
The CDC and the FDA updated their guidance on COVID-19 boosters. As with vaccines for other diseases, people are best protected from COVID-19 when they stay up-to-date with their vaccination schedule. COVID-19 vaccines continue to protect people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and dying—especially people who have received a booster.
The CDC recommends everyone ages 12 years and older receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster after completing their primary COVID-19 vaccination series. Individuals over 50 and the immunocompromised can receive a second booster.
Cook County Health community sites are administering first and second doses and boosters. For more information, visit https://myshotcookcounty.com/locations/. Bring your vaccine card to your appointment or when you walk into a site.
FAQs about BA.2 – a new COVID-19 subvariant
What is BA.2?
BA.2 is a subvariant of omicron (BA.1). It has been referred to as “stealth” omicron because its genetic mutations make it harder to distinguish from the delta variant. BA.2 is the cause of a current wave of COVID in Europe and has been spreading rapidly in the U.S., including Illinois.
Is BA.2 worse than the original omicron?
Experts are still studying the new variant to understand it. But Danish scientists believe it’s 1.5 times more contagious than the original variant. Experts do not think it’s more severe than the original strain, but it’s important to note that while omicron was considered milder than the original strain, hospitalizations and deaths--particularly among the unvaccinated--increased, and numbers tend to lag after original infection.
Are vaccinations working against BA.2?
Like BA.1 (original omicron), vaccines are proving to be effective at preventing severe illness and death. Reinfection after omicron is still possible.
What can I do to protect myself and my loved ones?
Vaccinations remain key. It’s not too late to get vaccinated. Cook County Health’s community health centers offer vaccination hours. Visit https://myshotcookcounty.com/locations/.
If you aren’t feeling well or come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID, it’s important to stay home, test and isolate. If you have questions, call your doctor. Click on the link to order your FREE tests. If someone needs help placing an order, they can call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489).
Get 4 free COVID-19 tests mailed to you
Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order two sets of four free at-home tests. If you already ordered your first set, order a second today.
Need a little spring inspiration?
Get ideas for your own garden, or just enjoy what's in bloom at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
COVID-19 vaccine approved for children ages 5-11
Why children and teens should get vaccinated for COVID-19
The FDA and the CDC have approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11. This is an exciting step forward in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. With this approval, 94% of all Cook County residents are eligible to get vaccinated.
Clinical studies have shown the vaccine to be safe and very effective, preventing 90% of symptomatic infections in children ages 5-11.
While COVID-19 tends to be milder in children compared with adults, it can make children very sick and cause children to be hospitalized. In some situations, the complications from infection can lead to death.
Although children are at a lower risk of becoming severely ill with COVID-19 compared with adults, children can:
- Be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19
- Get very sick from COVID-19
- Have both short- and long-term health complications from COVID-19
- Spread COVID-19 to others
Children with underlying medical conditions are more at risk for severe illness from COVID-19 compared with children without underlying medical conditions. Children who get infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 can also develop serious complications like multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), a condition where different body parts become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs.
- Vaccinating children can help protect family members, including siblings who are not eligible for vaccination and family members who may be at increased risk of getting very sick if they are infected.
- Vaccination can also help keep children from getting seriously sick even if they do get COVID-19.
- Vaccinating children ages 5 years and older can help keep them in school and help them safely participate in sports, playdates, and other group activities.
Young kids will generally experience similar but milder side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine than adolescents or adults, according to the FDA. Side effects may include pain at the injection site, tiredness, muscle aches, or headache. Kids are less likely to develop fever or chills after the vaccine than adolescents or adults.
You and your children ages 5-11 can walk in to any Cook County Health site to get vaccinated, or you can make an appointment by calling 833-308-1988 (Monday through Friday 8:00 am – 8:00 pm).
Patients and members of the community can also make an online appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine by visiting vaccine.cookcountyil.gov.
Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian in order to get vaccinated.
For a comprehensive list of vaccination sites, visit https://www.vaccines.gov/.
Learn more
Everyone age 5 and older is encouraged to get vaccinated!
Everything you need to know about Cook County
My door is always open . . .
Cook County is responsible for providing essential services in the areas of public safety, public health, the court system, elections, tax assessment and appeals, recording deeds, and managing forest preserves. As an independent-minded member of the Board, I have worked hard to combine fiscal responsibility with social awareness. I am honored to serve the people of the 9th district, which includes: portions of the far northwest side of Chicago; Park Ridge, River Forest, Elmwood Park, Harwood Heights, Mount Prospect, Norridge, River Grove, Rosemont, and Schiller Park; portions of Arlington Heights, Melrose Park, Morton Grove, Niles, and Prospect Heights; and unincorporated Norwood Park, Maine, and Wheeling Townships.
Cook County government is here for you
Click below for a complete list of:
- Resident services
- How to do business
- County elected officials
- Agencies
- Meeting calendar