CHICAGO — The number of people who are actually getting the COVID-19 vaccine is now dropping, falling for the 11th straight day.
Public health officials are trying to address the decline by adjusting strategy and tactics to get more people vaccinated.
Starting today, every Monday is “Restaurant Worker Day” at Cook County’s mass vaccation sites.
Public health experts say new initiatives will be key to fighting vaccine hesitancy. Another new program launched this past weekend, targeting essential workers — aimed to boost the numbers.
Even though all adults now qualify to get a shot, demand is waning nationwide. In Illinois, only 44,600 shots were administered Saturday, the fewest given in a day since the beginning of April.
With Covid numbers moving in the right direction and more than 4 million Illinoisans now fully vaccinated, the state department of public health is focusing its attention to the vaccination rate as it tries to bring Illinois closer to herd immunity.
IDPH Director, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, posted a video touting the benefits of getting vaccinated.
Due to Covid variants and vaccine resistance, many scientists and public health experts now think it’s unlikely we’ll reach herd immunity. The target is 70% of the population vaccinated.
Instead of an endgame, experts agree it may become a threat that’s manageable.