Cook County Public Health: Vaccinate Now Before the Holidays

Cook County Public Health: Vaccinate Now Before the Holidays
Flu Activity Low, but ED visits and hospitalizations higher than last year

As families make plans for holiday gatherings, health officials say now is a good time to get vaccinated against flu, COVID-19 and RSV. "It takes two to three weeks for respiratory vaccinations to provide maximum protection in vaccinated individuals. So, this is a perfect time to get vaccinated before gathering with family and friends for Thanksgiving," said Dr. Kiran Joshi, chief operating officer of Cook County Department of Public Health.

Latest respiratory virus trends:

Flu activity in suburban Cook County for the week ending Oct. 24 is low and stable, but flu clinical indicators, such as ED visits and hospitalizations, are higher than what they were this time last year. COVID-19 activity remains minimal, (which is the lowest threshold level), while RSV activity has increased to low. Children ages 0 to 4 are especially impacted by RSV. Learn more about respiratory virus trends at Cook County Respiratory Surveillance.

Vaccination clinics:

Cook County Department of Public Health, in collaboration with Cook County Health and CountyCare, is offering free flu and COVID-19 vaccinations at its Saturday vaccination clinics to people who are either uninsured or on Medicaid, regardless of immigration status. In addition, partnering organizations, including churches, libraries and community organizations are offering vaccinations throughout the week. The partner clinics are funded by the Illinois Department of Public Health and provided by CIMPAR.

Access the full vaccination schedule here: Flu and COVID Vaccination Clinics - Cook County Department of Public Health.

Vaccination clinics occurring in November are listed below:

Cook County's Saturday Vaccination Clinics in November, 9 a.m. to 2pm

Partner Clinics in November

Organizations who want to sponsor a vaccination clinic at their sites, can make a request for a clinic here: Host a Vaccination Clinic - Cook County Department of Public Health.

For more information about Cook County Department of Public Health programs and services, visit www.cookcountypublichealth.org.

Cook County Department of Public Health is the nationally accredited, state-certified local health department serving suburban Cook County. We build healthier, more equitable communities by protecting health, preventing disease, engaging communities, and analyzing and sharing data for action