CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Cook County's Health and Hospitals System is launching a major public campaign aimed at erasing doubts about the COVID-19 vaccines.
The "My Shot" campaign, a photographic and social media campaign, involves telling the stories of people who have received the coronavirus vaccine, why they received it and why they urge others to do the same.
Cook County Health and Hospitals CEO Israel Rocha said the numbers are troubling.
"Through our research, we found that among Cook County adults, 32 percent were hesitant about the vaccine, with the most hesitant age group being between the ages of 18- and 34-years old," he said.
The numbers are higher—up to 46 percent hesitancy among African Americans and 35 percent in the LatinX community.
Bishop Claude Porter, who hosted the news conference at Proviso Missionary Baptist Church in Maywood, said the only path back to normal life is through the vaccines.
"Any shot that becomes available is a shot that you need to take. It is a shot that is going to save your life. It will encourage you and help you continue to live..." Porter said.
Porter said some people reluctant to sign up for the vaccine say they want to be able to get together with friends again; but he said people won't be able to safely do that unless they "take the shot."
County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said the only thing keeping Cook from giving out more vaccines is getting the doses here.
"Both at Tinley Park and Des Plaines, which are the sites that do a couple thousand vaccines a day; we have the capacity to do considerably more, so I think if we have the vaccine we can get the shots in people's arms. It is just a question of supply," Preckwinkle said.
But the supply's expected to increase.
