YOU.
>> AND PARIS AS WE HEARD IN THE
SHOW, VICE-PRESIDENT KAMALA
HARRIS WAS IN CHICAGO TODAY TO
DISCUSS VACCINE EQUITY WITH
MAYOR LIGHTFOOT AND OTHER PUBLIC
OFFICIALS.
IN RECENT MONTHS THE NUMBER OF
BLACK AND BROWN CHICAGOANS WHO
HAVE GOTTEN THE VACCINE HAS
EXPANDED SIGNIFICANTLY IN PART
THROUGH THE CITY'S PRIORITY ZIP
CODE PROGRAM.
BUT HURDLES REMAIN IN GETTING
SHOTS TO EVERY COMMUNITY.
ESPECIALLY AS COVID-19 CASES ARE
ONCE AGAIN ON THE RISE IN
ILLINOIS.
JOINING US NOW IS MERCEDES
CARENTHON, AN EPIDEMIOLOGIST AND
VICE-CHAIR OF PREVENTATIVE
MEDICINE AT NORTHWESTERN'S
FEINBERG SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.
WELCOME BACK.
SO WE'VE SEEN THIS SURGE IN
COVID CASES IN RECENT WEEKS.
HOW MUCH OF A THREAT DOES THIS
POSE TO THE VACCINATION EFFORTS
IN ILLINOIS AND ACROSS THE
COUNTRY?
>> YOU KNOW WHAT THIS DOES IT
EMPHASIZES THE URGENCY OF THE
VACCINATION EFFORTS.
WE ARE FACING RISING CASES AFTER
A FEW MONTHS WORTH OF DECLINES.
AND THAT IS DUE IN PART TO
PEOPLE CIRCULATING MORE.
MORE THINGS ARE OPEN AND PLACES
IN WHICH PEOPLE WILL CONGREGATE.
WE NEED TO STAY ON TOP OF THESE
CASES BY KEEPING UP THE PACE OF
VACCINATIONS.
>> NOW, AS WE MENTIONED
VICE-PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS WAS
IN CHICAGO TODAY TO DISCUSS
VACCINE EQUITY.
HAVE THE CITY AND THE STATE DONE
ENOUGH TO MAKE SURE THERE IS A
LEVEL PLAYING FIELD THERE?
>> I REALLY THINK THAT THE ZIP
CODE PROGRAM WAS SOLIDLY BASED
IN SCIENCE.
THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS TO
SUGGEST THAT VACCINATION BY ZIP
CODE WHERE WE SEE CLUSTERS OF
CASES AND AS WELL AS THE MOST
SEVERE OUTCOMES, IS A GOOD
STRATEGY TO REACH THOSE WHO ARE
GOING TO BE THE MOST AFFECTED.
AND IN THE CITY WHERE WE HAVE
CERTAIN RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS
CLUSTERING WITHIN THE ZIP CODES
THIS DOES A DUEL JOB OF
PROMOTING RACIAL EQUITY IN
VACCINATION.
>> FOR A LONGTIME EARLY ON IN
THE VACCINATION ROLL OUT WE
HEARD ABOUT VACCINATION
HESITANCY ESPECIALLY IN THE
BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES BUT
WE'RE HEARING INFORMATION THOSE
ATTITUDES ARE SHIFTING.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT WHO IS
HESITANT TO GET THE VACCINE?
>> WE HAVE SEEN EXTREME
IMPROVEMENT IN THE NUMBERS OF
BLACK AND LATINX COMMUNITY
MEMBERS WHO ARE WILLING TO BE
VACCINATED AND PART IS THE
SNOWBALL EFFECT.
SO SOMEBODY'S GRANDMOTHER WAS
VACCINATED AND THEY WERE FINE.
ANOTHER YOUNG ADULT IS
VACCINATED AND THEY SPEAK
POSITIVELY ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE.
ALL OF THOSE ARE BENEFITS.
BUT THE BARRIER WE FACE IS HOW
AN INDIVIDUAL SECURES A VACCINE
APPOINTMENT.
I THINK WE STILL FACE INEQUITIES
IN THE ABILITY TO SNATCH UP A
SCARCE RESOURCE OF GETTING THAT
VACCINE APPOINTMENT.
AND WHEN WE RELY ON TELEPHONE
AND INTERNET-BASED SCHEDULING
THAT ACTUALLY RULES OUT AN
ENTIRE POPULATION WHO IS NOT
COMFORTABLE WITH THOSE METHODS.
>> AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS,
CHICAGO LAUNCHED THE PRIORITY
ZIP CODE PROGRAM TO ADDRESS THAT
DISPARITY AND WHO IS GETTING THE
VACCINE AND YOU SAY IT'S BASED
IN SCIENCE.
TELL US ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THAT
PROGRAM?
>> SO WHAT IS HAPPENING IS THE
ZIP CODES WHERE WE SEE A
CONCENTRATION OF CASES THOSE ZIP
CODES INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE IN
THE ZIP CODES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR
THE SCARCE NUMBER OF SLOTS FOR
VACCINATIONS BECAUSE WE ARE
STILL SEEING DEMAND FOR
VACCINATION IS OUTSTRIPPING
SUPPLY.
SO IF WE ARE ABLE TO REACH
PEOPLE IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS
AND SPECIFICALLY INVITE THEM WE
HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REACH OUT
TO COMMUNITIES WHO ARE HARDEST
HIT AND THE SCIENCE SUGGESTS
THIS IS A VERY GOOD WAY WHEN WE
GET TO THESE COMMUNITY BASED
VACCINATIONS TO TRY TO STOP THE
HARM THAT IS BEING DONE TO THE
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE HARDEST
HIT.
>> SO PRESIDENT BIDEN TODAY HE
MOVED UP THE DEADLINE FOR ALL
AMERICANS TO BE ELIGIBLE.
HERE IS WHAT MAYOR LORI
LIGHTFOOT SAID ABOUT THAT TODAY.
>> PRESIDENT HAS NOW MOVED UP
THE TIMELINE FROM MAY FIRST TO
APRIL 19TH FOR ALL ADULTS IN THE
U.S. TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS
TO THE VACCINE.
WE WILL MEET THAT DEADLINE.
WE NEED MORE VACCINE FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BUT WE ARE
OPTIMISTIC BASED UPON
CONVERSATIONS THAT THAT
OPPORTUNITY WILL HAPPEN.
>> THE MAYOR SAYING WE NEED MORE
VACCINE AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
WILL SOON BE VIABLE VYING FOR A
VACCINE.
WHAT HURDLES REMAIN IN MAKING
SURE THAT VACCINE ACCESS REMAINS
EQUITABLE WHEN EVERYBODY IS ABLE
TO GET IT?
>> I TOUCHED ON ONE BEFORE WHICH
IS THAT APPOINTMENTS NEED TO BE
MADE TO SECURE THE VACCINE.
HOWEVER, THE INTRODUCTION OF THE
ONE-DOSE JOHNSON & JOHNSON
VACCINE WHICH DOESN'T HAVE
STORAGE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE AS
STRINGENT AS THE ORIGINAL
TWO-DOSE VACCINES FROM MODERNA
AND PFIZER, MEANS THAT WE WON'T
HAVE TO DEFROST A CERTAIN NUMBER
OF VACCINES AND INSURE THAT WE
HAVE AN ARM TO STICK THEM INTO
BEFORE WE START OUT.
WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT WITH THE
ONE-DOSE J & J, WE CAN BRING IT
TO PEOPLE IN COMMUNITIES AND BE
ABLE TO REACH OUT.
AND THOSE ARE WAYS IN WHICH WE
CAN GET TO THE HARDEST HIT
COMMUNITIES
>> NOW, SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER
ILLINOIS AND CHICAGO REOPENED
BARS AND PUBLIC SPACES THIS
YEAR, CASES BEGAN TO RISE AGAIN.
ARE WE REOPENING TOO SOON AND
EXPANDING THAT REOPENING TOO
MUCH?
>> YOU KNOW IT IS A REAL
CHALLENGE AND I AM SYMPATHETIC
TO THE ECONOMIC STRAINS THAT THE
MITIGATION MEASURES HAVE CAUSED
FOR MANY COMMUNITIES.
AND IT APPEARS THAT WE ARE
BALANCING THE RISK OF REWARD YOU
KNOW IF WE KEEP BUSINESSES
CLOSED, INDIVIDUALS LOSE THEIR
LIVELIHOOD.
BUT WHEN WE REOPEN THE
BUSINESSES, IT SERVES AS AN
ENDORSEMENT THAT IT IS SAFE FOR
PEOPLE TO CONGREGATE TOGETHER
AND THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS A RISE IN
RATES IN YOUNG ADULT POPULATIONS
AND THESE YOUNG ADULT
POPULATIONS ARE ONLY NOW
ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINATION SO WHAT
WE SAW HAPPEN WHAT WE COULD HAVE
PREDICTED AND IT IS A HARD THING
TO SEE BECAUSE AS A RESULT OUR
CASE RATES ARE GOING UP.
AND THE LAGGING INDICATOR SUCH
AS HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS
ARE LIKELY TO FOLLOW.
BUT WE HAVE THESE BALANCING
ECONOMIC AS WELL AS PUBLIC
HEALTH CONCERNS AND RIGHT NOW, I
THINK WE ARE WALKING A TOUGH
BALANCE.
>> OK.
I'M SURE IT WILL REMAIN TOUGH