CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- With Chicago Public Schools set to fully reopen this fall, the district, along with the Chicago Department of Public Health, announced Wednesday its student vaccination strategy.
In advance of the upcoming school year, the district will provide multiple opportunities for students and their families to get vaccinated in ways that are easily accessible and convenient for them.
“Our city has made great strides in keeping our COVID-19 positivity rate low—an achievement that is a testament to more and more residents getting vaccinated," said Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, in a statement. "Expanding vaccination opportunities for CPS students and their families will allow us to build on this tremendous progress and serves as our city's latest effort to turn the chapter on the COVID-19 pandemic in the most equitable way possible.”
At the core of these efforts, the district will convert three of its current school-based vaccination sites—Chicago Vocational Career Academy in Avalon Park; Michele Clark High School in Austin; and Theodore Roosevelt High School in Albany Park—to specifically support CPS students and families. These sites will be open weekly from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. throughout the summer, starting the week of July 12.
Through these vaccination sites, the district can administer up to 600 first doses of vaccine per week.
Appointments will be available through an online portal, and walk-ins will also be accepted. The vaccine is free, and no proof of insurance nor citizenship is required to get vaccinated. A parent or guardian is required to be present during COVID-19 vaccination for anyone under 18. While each site is open to all CPS families, the district will also be conducting targeted outreach to families who attend schools in the vicinity of the vaccination sites.
Meantime, students over the age of 12 who are currently enrolled in summer programming will also have the opportunity to get vaccinated.
As part of the district’s commitment to equity, CPS plans to deploy mobile vaccination units to communities hardest hit by COVID-19. The district will be deploying partner providers such as Advocate Aurora, University of Chicago Hospitals, CIMPAR, and Lurie Children’s Hospital directly to schools throughout the summer.
“While more than 50,000 children under the age of 18 have been vaccinated in Chicago, this accomplishment has not been shared equally across all of our neighborhoods,” said CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D., in a statement. “That’s why our expanded vaccination opportunities through CPS aims to boost vaccination rates among students especially in communities that need additional support the most.”
The district will also provide vaccination opportunities at existing high-volume events, such as the district’s annual Back-to-School Bashes, each of which will serve as an opportunity for students and families to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. On top of providing vaccinations, these bashes offer free school supplies and information on academic programs, enrollment procedures, and other topics relating to the upcoming school year to help families prepare for a successful return to school.
All students ages 12 and older are eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine and students 18 and older are also eligible for the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Families seeking additional information and registration should visit cps.edu/vaccinations.
Since staff vaccination sites launched in February, the district has provided nearly 20,000 vaccine doses with approximately 78 percent of staff fully or partially vaccinated based on self-reported data as of July 2. Additionally, in May and June, the district hosted vaccination events at 15 elementary and high schools, administering over 1,400 vaccinations with a focus on supporting CPS families on the South and West Sides of the city.
In a statement, the Chicago Teachers Union said it wants 80 percent of eligible students to be vaccinated by October.
The vaccination goal is part of a CTU proposal submitted Monday that also asks for ventilation system upgrades at school buildings and a 10 percent increase in special education teachers, bilingual teachers, English language program teachers, teacher assistants and arts educators by Jan. 27 to support community recovery.
Related
