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* WBEZ…
A WBEZ analysis of Cook County vaccination data by municipality found a stark gap between the most vaccinated suburbs and least vaccinated ones. The 10 communities with the highest vaccination rates are all majority white and affluent, while the 10 communities with the lowest vaccination rates are majority Black and low-income.
“I personally didn’t imagine there would be that wide of a gap,” said Dr. Rachel Rubin, co-lead of the Cook County Department of Public Health.
* Here are the highest vaccinated suburban towns that are entirely within Cook County…
Northbrook 81.4%
Des Plaines 78.2%
Riverside 75.5%
Glenview 73.9%
Northfield 68.5%
Wilmette 63.6%
Morton Grove 63.1%
Winnetka 63.1%
Palos Heights 62.9%
Western Springs 62.6%
* And the lowest vaxed…
Dolton 29.3%
Calumet City 28.9%
Robbins 27.5%
Markham 26.9%
Phoenix 26.2%
Harvey 23.2%
Burnham 20.8%
Riverdale 19.6%
Ford Heights 14.0%
Dixmoor 12.6%
* Back to WBEZ…
Rubin said now the county plans to shift resources toward more community-focused, on-the-ground efforts.
“We really need to be going door to door with outreach,” Rubin said. “To say, ‘We have a van that’s doing vaccinations that’s in the elementary school yard,’ and draw a circle and knock on all the doors and say, ‘We’re going to be here all weekend.’ ”
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 12:07 pm
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In public communications about the vaccine I do wish they’d emphasize that it is a “free” vaccine. I don’t think cost misperception is the sole driver of the lower vaccine rates in low income communities but I’m sure there is some concern about cost and it wouldn’t hurt to emphasize that it’s a free vaccine.
Comment by The Captain Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 12:17 pm
I don’t have anything nice to say. I had a zinger, but it was definitely not nice, so I’m going to go in a different direction.
We really need to do better and we should all be embarrassed by numbers like this especially due to the root causes of the discrepancy. We can’t just shrug this off as something that’s not about us and take some social responsibility for what’s going on.
My heart really goes out to Dr. Rachel Rubin because I know she has personally felt the impacts of this pandemic and I hope she’s able to get as many people jabbed as she can.
Comment by Candy Dogood Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 12:19 pm
Is it a case of hesitation, There have been resources available for transportation. This is not just Illinois, but across the country. Stumped?
Comment by 14th ward Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 12:19 pm
Dr Rubin didnt think there would be that much of a gap? God bless her, but we see these types of gaps with regards to … well, pretty much everything.
She may be an outstanding doctor, but she really could use some assistance from anyone who follows such things.
Comment by low level Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 12:20 pm
Another symptom of the disease that is poverty. When you’re food insecure, or housing insecure, unemployed, underemployed, etc., how high a priority is getting vaccinated? Too many people in these communities either don’t have health insurance or, for those that do, don’t have the kind of relationships with health care providers that people like me take for granted.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 12:20 pm
Excellent analysis. Good on WBEZ. However, it also points out that this is the kind of analysis that should’ve been done by the health department all along. Better late than never.
Comment by Langhorne Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 12:21 pm
Is it a case of hesitation, as resources have been available for transportation. This seems to be a trend across the country. Stumped?
Comment by 14th ward Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 12:22 pm
As someone who lives in one of the lowest-vaxxed towns, it’s “boots on the ground” time to get these numbers up. Many of the residents don’t/can’t drive, don’t have rides to vax centers. The towns do not have transport available due to being broke or low budget. Get a van, run it like a ice cream truck (imagine the Monty Python skit with the psychiatrist milk truck playing a happy tune while calling out “Psychiatrist!” and driving down the street). Go block by block, door to door if necessary. Get some of these self-important politicians and political hacks to show up and knock on doors. Thornton Township’s “Z Team” and other townships should be all over this project for the seniors they serve, not just “come to us for the shot”.
Comment by thisjustinagain Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 12:26 pm
The Captain, being a captain and all, is correct. FREE should have been emphasized more from the beginning. It might have helped. It still might.
Comment by Captain Obvious Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 12:42 pm
What’s the red/blue divide between the higher vaxxed towns and lower vaxxed towns?
Comment by Huh? Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 12:45 pm
Besides Ford Heights, I think all of those places feed at least partially into the 205 HS District in Cook County.
I would be worried about the fall if I was that district.
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 12:51 pm
There should be no surprise. We’re talking about hundreds of years of medical apartheid (often government-funded and government-supported) perpetrated against Black Americans. It’s not just Tuskegee and it’s not just the south. At least through the 1980s, forced sterilizations were occurring through government-funded medical residency programs (”elective” hysterectomies performed on young Black women as training for young doctors) and through social service agencies that would require a hysterectomy after delivering a Black woman’s baby as a condition of her receiving governmental benefits. Just one of many, many examples within living memory of why there is such distrust toward the medical establishment. Obviously no easy answer but hopefully if community leaders can be brought on board — a big if — that could only help.
Comment by natty lite Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 12:58 pm
When you live in a disenfranchised community it’s easy to understand why you could become “immune” to the threat.
Dealing daily with gun violence, poverty, lack of access to good jobs, decent grocery stores, good public transportation… maybe taking a jab just isn’t at the top of your list that day.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 1:07 pm
==What’s the red/blue divide between the higher vaxxed towns and lower vaxxed towns?==
Most of those towns are in Thornton Township which went 87% Biden. Even Foxx, who greatly underperformed Biden in Cook County, did much better in Thornton. But I wouldn’t call this divide a political one.
Comment by City Zen Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 1:11 pm
There is a class difference between towns. Based on class difference I assume there are more individuals in the low vacinated towns on Illinois Medicaid. The vast majority of folks on Illinois Medicaid are required to join a manage care company that limitss the network of providers one can go see. However, the Illinois contract with these companies require Manage Care companies to provide each person with a care coordinator/manager. The Manage Care companies are being paid to provide this service. May disabled adult son on Illinois Medicaid gets his manage care mail from Detroit Mi. I think that this is a failure by Manage Care Companies and a failure on the Department of Health and Family Services to enforce the contract stipulations. Tax payer dollars are already payig private corporations to facilitate vacinations.
Comment by Almost Retired Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 2:01 pm
What I find interesting is the inclusion of Des Plaines at almost the top of the most vaccinated. As a native of the city, I wouldn’t call it at all affluent in the way Northbrook, Glenview, Wilmette etc…are affluent, or even compared to next door Park Ridge, which didn’t make the top ten list.
Of course, one of the mass vaccination sites was there, in an abandoned K-Mart in the south central part of town which is generally viewed as a less affluent part of the city. Makes me wonder if accessibility to a highly visible vaccination center was a big driver in the numbers.
Comment by Wally Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 2:37 pm
==Makes me wonder if accessibility to a highly visible vaccination center was a big driver in the numbers.==
South Suburban College in South Holland is a mass vaccination site, yet is surrounded by many of the villages at the bottom of the list.
Comment by City Zen Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 3:54 pm
==South Suburban College in South Holland is a mass vaccination site, yet is surrounded by many of the villages at the bottom of the list.==
This site is actually in the City of Des Plaines, which could be why it’s so high up the list. Along those lines, maybe that’s why South Holland isn’t on the “bottom” list like it’s neighbors.
Anyways, this is all just spitballing and theorizing. Des Plaines just struck me as a real outlier in the list of otherwise affluent communities. To be clear, I’m not saying it’s a poor community like some of the south suburban communities, just not in the same category as the other communities in the “top” list, or communities like Barrington, Naperville, Mount Prospect that didn’t even make the top ten list.
Comment by Wally Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 4:23 pm
I found similar results when I analyzed vaccination rates in the south suburbs a month ago. I think health authorities are doing all they can in terms of outreach. It’s a lot of work to go door to door but I think it’s the most effective approach. https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-slowik-robbins-market-vaccines-st-0611-20210610-qnwcbv5cf5afhb4rt4qqb73ivq-story.html
Comment by Ted Slowik Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 4:25 pm
I remember big vans that were TB vans. I guess they just gave out information or maybe took X rays. this was in Elmhurst in the 50s. I don’t know why they don’t rent RV and staff them and drive up and down the block with local politicians if necessary and Townships let them do something. And yes I certainly understand the experimentation on minorities and not that long ago so put someone that is trust worthy to help Too bad Jessie White cannot be cloned
Comment by DuPage Saint Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 4:38 pm
Not a lot of hospitals down there and with the hospitals doing a more chain approach, if you don’t have Northwestern, Advocate or even U of C in your wallet, you don’t have the fluidity of reach for docs and clinics.
Comment by Amalia Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 5:23 pm
I am not surprised nobody has said superstition.A lot of crazy ideas about the vaccine are floating around.
Comment by bob Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 5:29 pm
Them aint trump voters…now what
Comment by Creeper Thursday, Jul 8, 21 @ 6:32 pm