Committee on Health and Human Relations

Chairman Roderick Sawyer has called roll and established a quorum. Beginning with public comment.

The second speaker is calling in from a phone and seems to be having technical issues.

She got through! The second speaker, like the first, is with the Chicago Alliance for Animals, speaking on behalf of legislation regulating the sale of pets, specifically “puppy mills.”

That’s it for public comment. Moving on to COVID-19 updates from Dr. Allison Arwady.

She’s giving a broad overview on encouraging numbers for the city. Right now the city is averaging around 300 new cases per day. She says we need to get that number below 200. https://t.co/vhlIyuBlMv

Numbers in the Latinx community, which has been disproportionately affected in the city, have improved as well. https://t.co/VNOXnU6GNO

But COVID hospitalization numbers among Black Chicagoans remain high. https://t.co/5atEp27ERG

On equity goals: last week, 50% of vaccinations went to Black and Latinx Chicagoans, up from very low percentages at the beginning of the rollout. Chicago is 59% Black/Latinx. https://t.co/pl4IBpBGn6

The city overall has 1 in 8 people vaccinated - Dr. Arwady says we may hit 1 in 7 today.

Belmont Cragin had the biggest improvement in vaccination numbers and the most doses administered this week. https://t.co/8q93UZpibh

She says we could be handling four or five times the amount of vaccine the city is receiving, “no problem.” It’s just a matter of supply.

Dr. Arwady: “Our goal in March is to get all of our seniors vaccinated.”

We have not moved to the 1B+ stage because of the importance of vaccinating older Chicagoans. We prevent one death for every 49 people over the age of 80 vaccinated.

When do we move to the next phase? It depends on what happens over the next few weeks in terms of vaccine supply and appointment demand.

We are on track with the goal of moving to 1C in late March, she says. We’re still only at 1 in 3 Chicago seniors vaccinated. “We still have a long way to go in that group.”

Tomorrow, at 8:30 am, 110,000 vaccine appointments will open up at the United Center. These are open to anyone from the state who is over 65.

On Sunday, March 7, any unfilled appointments from that group will be opened up to other groups of people.

“Vaccine supply is by far our most limiting factor here.” https://t.co/sMAirsqag3

But, she says, she’s optimistic about where that’s heading.

First question comes from Ald. Michele Smith: Can you make plain the link between vaccinations and reopening decisions?

Arwady: We make reopening decisions based on death, hospitalization and positivity rates. But we’ve seen major drop offs in those numbers as we’ve focused vaccine efforts.

As more people get vaccinated, we’ll have lower and lower case rates, she says.

On variants: they’re a question, but “the modeling looks good on that.”

Ald. Smith is asking about data on people refusing the vaccine. Are they getting sick and dying at higher numbers? Dr. Arwady says yes.

“Vaccination is the most important thing in terms of preventing cases and deaths.” - Dr. Arwady

Ald. Smith - “You really need to get that message out.” Says the city is effectively “being held hostage” by people who refuse the vaccine.

Dr. Arwady says that as more people know someone who’s been vaccinated, comfort levels with vaccination have continued to rise. “These vaccines are remarkably effective.”

Focusing vaccinations on places that are hit the hardest lowers case rates for everyone, getting the city closer to a full reopening, she says.

Ald. Harry Osterman - it’s good that the city is focused on seniors living in facilities, but what about seniors living independently? How are we reaching them?

The United Center facility is a big piece of this effort, says Arwady. There are 20k Uber rides available for Chicago residents that will take them to United Center appointments. They become available once your appointment is scheduled.

If someone needs a companion, they’re welcome to bring one (that person will not get vaccinated).

They’re also launching the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week - a one dose vaccine that is still highly effective in preventing deaths and hospitalizations.

They’re starting with homebound seniors and then expanding to people with disabilities or other issues that keep them homebound. They’ll be bringing the vaccine to them.

Follow update on all things vaccine at https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid19-vaccine/home.html

Ald. Cardona is asking about Hermosa, wanting to know why it’s not prioritized as much as Belmont Cragin. Arwady says it’s all about vaccine supply.

But vaccination numbers in Hermosa have improved, she points out.

“We’re going to switch, in the next two months, from a point where we don’t have enough vaccine to where we have plenty of vaccine,” says Arwady. Then you’ll see a big shift.

Ald. Cardona continuing to emphasize the need in Hermosa.

Cardona cited Hermosa residents who were turned away from a Belmont Cragin facility bc they don’t live in the right zip code. Dr. Arwady says her job right now, unfortunately, is to keep telling people “not yet.”

But she says it’s her top priority for every single person over 65 in every single zip code in the city to be vaccinated in the month of March.

Ald. O’Shea: which vaccine will be at the United Center? Dr. Arwady: Pfizer.

The effort to bring vaccinations to homebound people will use Johnson&Johnson. This is for people who truly cannot leave the house, she says - the single dose vaccine is critical for such a time intensive issue.

Someone asked about drive through appointments. Arwady says they’re “100 percent” thinking about that. Possible in the 3rd or 4th week at the United Center.

Upon being asked about non-Chicago residents claiming residency to get vaccines - she said it’s a tricky balance and there are a lot of factors at play. It also, she hopes, will become a moot point soon as more vaccine becomes available.

Ald. Sigcho Lopez is asking about language access issues. Dr. Arwady said they’re focusing on that. The United Center will be staffed with people who can interpret in a variety of languages. No specifics as to which languages will be available.

Dr. Arwady: “We have a lot of capacity to deliver vaccine. We just don’t have a lot of vaccine.”

This was in response to a question from Ald. Sigcho Lopez about how the city can partner with more organizations and businesses to distribute vaccine. She says the city has a lot of partners already, but the supply isn’t there yet.

No more questions from the council members. Chairman Sawyer is motioning to adjourn.

And that’s it for the Chicago City Council Committee on Health and Human Relations. It’s been a long road, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel, everyone. Hang in there.

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