CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations begin to tick up yet again, local health leaders are urging residents to be safe and patient when it comes to the latest vaccine.
Dr. Rachel Rubin is Senior Medical Officer with the Cook County Department of Public Health.
“You want to try to time your vaccine as close as you can to the beginning of a surge,” she said. “That’s obviously very hard to predict. So, if somebody wants to go ahead and get the shot now, I would say, ‘go ahead,’” Rubin said.
Rubin said the latest vaccine has been proven to protect against the newest subvariant of Omicron, but that given how recently it was approved, supply is an issue across the country, including in Cook County.
However, she said don’t hit the panic button just yet.
“Over a matter of the next several weeks, I would say anywhere from two to six weeks, we should begin to see a significant supply coming down. I don’t think people are going to be especially harmed if they have to wait one or two or even three weeks to get their new COVID vaccine,” said Rubin.
In the meantime, Rubin said preventing a fall surge is possible with simple, familiar measures, such as wearing face masks and avoiding large gatherings.
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