Booster shots now available for all adults
CDC expands eligibility for COVID-19 booster shots
The Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Illinois Department of Public Health have recommended booster vaccines for all adults, age 18 and over.
The risk of severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age and can also increase for adults of any age with underlying medical conditions. Early data show that the vaccines’ effectiveness against COVID-19 infections is decreasing over time. The lower effectiveness is likely due to the combination of decreasing protection as time passes since getting vaccinated as well as the greater virulence of the Delta variant.
Vaccinations are our only way out of the pandemic, and booster shots further protect us. The more doses we administer, the less transmission of the virus occurs, and that is the key to moving forward.
If you are at least 18 years old and it has been at least six months since your Pfizer or Moderna vaccine series, or two months since your Johnson & Johnson shot, you should get a booster. You can get a booster shot of any of the approved vaccines. Boosters (and vaccines for children age 5 and older) are widely available throughout Cook County.
Our “Destination: Vaccination” program allows you to locate the nearest or most convenient vaccine site, and we will provide a free ride to and from your vaccination. Child seats and accommodations for the physically challenged are available. Simply call 833-308-1988 to find the most convenient location to get your booster and take advantage of a free ride.
As you've heard, cases are rising again. We need to protect Cook County from another major surge that could lead to increased hospitalizations and deaths from COVID complications. Together we will get there, but we need everyone to play their part. So if you are eligible to receive a booster shot, we urge you to get one. To find a comprehensive listing of vaccine locations, visit https://www.vaccines.gov.
For more information, including answers to frequently asked booster questions, click above.
COVID-19 vaccine now 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!
COVID-19 Small Business Assistance
"Ask the Expert" webinar for small business owners
The Cook County Small Business Assistance Program invites all small business owners to join business experts for a free 45-minute virtual business advising session. The webinar will be held on December 14 from 11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Our network of professionals has helped more than 4,000 small-business professionals start, develop, and grow their businesses. Register at https://nextstreet.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkce-vqDMuGtNuCDp5ldm9-WFMf2y8RCDT.
Christmas spirit on display at our Food & Clothing Drive
Commissioner Silvestri and State Representative Stephens thank everyone who donated so generously to our Food & New Clothing Drive. A special shout out goes to our volunteers from Notre Dame High School!
This is only a small sampling of the great items we collected for the Leyden Community Food Pantry, the Maine Township Food Pantry, the Salvation Army Norridge Community Center, and the Windy City Community Food Pantry.
Statewide indoor mask mandate in effect
62 per cent of Illinois residents are fully vaccinated
The State of Illinois indoor mask mandate for all Illinois residents, regardless of vaccination status, is now in effect.
Because COVID-19 cases and hospitalization rates continue to increase, the state is also requiring individuals who work in high-risk settings to get vaccinated against COVID-19. All health care workers, pre-k-12 teachers and staff, and higher education personnel and students are now required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Employees in all of these settings and higher education students who are unable or unwilling to receive the vaccine will be required to get tested for COVID-19 at least once per week.
The Cook County Department of Public Health issued an indoor mask mandate for suburban Cook County prior to the state mandate. All individuals age two and older who can medically tolerate a mask must wear one in public indoor spaces and common spaces of multi-unit residences. According to the order, businesses are required to post signage that states that masks are required. CCDPH has created a sign that can be posted by employers and it can be found on the CCDPH website at: https://cookcountypublichealth.org/ccdph-covid-19-communications/.
Forest Preserve Picnic & Event Permits for 2022
Available now!
Picnic and event permits are available online or by calling 800-870-3666.
You can purchase permits in-person from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Appointments are strongly encouraged to avoid long wait times. Picnic and event permits can be purchased at the Forest Preserves General Headquarters located at 536 N. Harlem Avenue in River Forest.
Learn More
Vaccine concerns? Learn More
If you or someone you love are vaccine-hesitant, look to a trusted resource for information.
Thanks for attending our largest ever shred/recycling event!
American Rescue Plan Act funding
Cook County seeks your input to guide its spending plan
Cook County will directly receive more than $1 billion from the federal government through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and is in the process of developing a responsible, comprehensive, and equitable spending plan to strategically use these one-time resources to support both immediate recovery needs and long-term transformative initiatives.
The distribution of these crucial funds will build on the equity best practices Cook County introduced with the distribution of CARES Act funds last year.
Additionally, municipalities in Cook County with populations over 50,000 will receive direct funds from ARPA, while the State of Illinois is responsible for distributing funds to entities with fewer than 50,000 residents.
Cook County government, with pro bono support from the Civic Consulting Alliance, is in the process of determining spending priorities regarding ARPA funds. A great deal of work goes into a $1 billion spending plan, and we want to do it right: in an open, honest, and transparent manner.
Funds provided under ARPA are substantial and will be transformational for states and local governments in their pandemic rescue and recovery efforts.
Investments in public infrastructure, economic and community development, workforce development and training, small business assistance, housing stability, public safety, and social services are particularly well-suited uses of ARPA funds because of their expansive and recurring benefits. Cook County can cover the upfront costs of these programs using ARPA funds and will see their long-term, sustainable benefits well after the ARPA funds have been fully used.
We look at ARPA as funds intended for all of our residents—not just for Cook County government operations. This means we will spend funds in an equitable manner with the largest benefit to the most people over the longest amount of time.
Cook County has created an Engage Cook County website to serve as a hub for community engagement on ARPA. Click here to visit the website.
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.
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