CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city is escalating efforts to encourage more residents of black and brown communities to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
After she and some other political and civic leaders received their first doses of the Pfizer vaccine, Mayor Lightfoot said she was troubled by the surprisingly low number of eligible African American and LatinX residents who have received the shot.
"A percentage that is so alarmingly low that if we do not reverse this trend, we will continue to see more black and brown fathers, mothers, grandparents, sons, daughters die of this virus when a vaccine is right here, right now for free for all," she said.
The Mayor said the city will target 15 of the most vulnerable neighborhoods and direct more vaccine and resources there. She added there will be major resources devoted to reducing some people's doubts about the safety of the vaccinations.
Helene Gayle, president and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust, said her organization is getting a grant to mount an outreach effort of its own.
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"The Chicago Community Trust will be awarded a $1.5 million grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to support community-led and community-driven campaigns centered around equitable distribution of the vaccine and vaccine uptake," she said.
Mayor Lightfoot said the city will do all it can to answer questions and reduce fears in the community.