AN ORDINANCE TO "TAKE THE VACCINE TO THE PEOPLE" BY ESTABLISHING EFFECTIVE. COMMUNITY VACCINATION SITES
DIRECTLY OPERATED AND STAFFED BY THE CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
HEALTH AND FOR OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH PURPOSES
WHEREAS, as of March 18,2021 there have been 5,069 known deaths due to Covidl9 in the city of Chicago; and,
WHEREAS, public health best practices (see appendix) dictate that during a pandemic rapid vaccination to achieve 90% herd immunity is imperative in the communities and workplaces where those most affected live and work, at locations that are easily accessible and walk up friendly; and,
WHEREAS, the Chicago Health Department vaccinated 301,463 people for polio in 1 day on May 18th, 1963-in the communities where the people lived at accessible well-known public sites, a U.S. record that still stands; and,
WHEREAS, All 3.5 Million Chicago residents on that day lived within 3 blocks of a vaccine station;
WHEREAS, over three decades, the City's public health infrastructure has been subjected to the most severe cuts, privatization and fragmentation of services of All major U.S. cities, including New York City and Los Angeles County, going from 2,000 Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) employees and 57 facilities in 1991 to 458 employees and 13 facilities in 2020, leaving Chicago completely unprepared for COVID-19 and,
WHEREAS a New York University 2019 peer review, journal published research study showed that Chicago had the greatest racial disparity in years lived: longevity in the United States, with white Gold Coast residents living 30 years more than African American Englewood residents;
WHEREAS All predominantly Chicago African American and Latino community areas, zip codes and City Council Wards All have far fewer hospitals, clinics and pharmacies than predominately white areas of the city;
WHEREAS the City of Chicago received $180 Million in COVID federal funds in February, 2021 and will receive hundreds of millions more of the $80 Bi...
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