The early history of the Vaccine Brigade is documented in an article by our own Beth Blacksin in an upcoming issue of Public Health Nursing. See the article at this link.
The NOVID Act - Nullifying Opportunities for Variants to Infect and Decimate
There is an act before Congress sponsored by Raja Krishnamoorti from Illinois and Jeff Markley from Massachussetts. The bill calls for 34 Billion in funding to increase capacity and production of vaccines and assist with their delivery, and establish global surveillance for future pandemics. Contact your representative to encourage them to sign on as sponsors of this important legislation!
Click on the link below to see the legislation.
Video from MobilCare Chicago about the in-home vaccination program
MobilCare Chicago in conjunction with several other organizations is providing in-home vaccinations in the Chicago area. While the focus is on the over 65 population, in home vaccinations are available to the under 65 as well. The link brings you to a half hour video presentation by one of the leaders of the effort providing detail on the operation.
Brazilian town experiment shows mass vaccination can
wipe out COVID-19
In the state of Sau Paulo in Brazil - one of the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus, a small town (Serrano) vaccinated almost all the adult population.
Symptomatic cases of COVID-19 dropped by 80% since the start of mass vaccination, related hospitalizations fell 86%, and deaths plummeted 95%.
Cases remain out of control in 15 nearby cities. The Chinese SinoVac product was used - a vaccine with less efficacy than the Pfizer, Moderna and J&J products.
MY SHOT
COOK COUNTY
A computer searchable list of no appointment needed places to get a walk-in COVID vaccination at Cook County Health Sites.
The page includes links to multiple other resources as well as the vaccination search tool.
The origin of COVID: Did people or nature open Pandora’s box at Wuhan?
Very long, very detailed and extremely interesting explication in The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists of the evidence in support of and against the hypothesis that Covid-19 resulted from a lab leak vs a natural evolution from animals.
The article includes discussion of "bad science" and conflicts of interest in the early period of attempting to understand where Covid-19 came from.
THE VACCINE
CLASS GAP
New York Times article by David Leonhardt that argues class distinctions are more important than other variables such as political affiliation, race or ethnicity in explaining differential vaccination rates. Leonhardt discusses the "coming apart" of the working class in the US.
(This article may be located behind a paywall if you are not a NYTimes subscriber.)
Chicagoland Vaccine Partnership Learning Community (on Slack)
Join a brand new Community on Slack which promises to be a great source of information, exchange and community for those of us working to enhance vaccination uptake and to improve health equity.
Vaccinate Your Family
A website with extensive links to information about Covid-19 vaccination. The information is targeted at multiple levels - consumers, providers and advocates.
Frequently Asked Questions About COVID-19
A three page PDF flyer from "We Can Do This" - the HHS Covid-19 Public Education Campaign
Building Trust in Vaccination
A behaviorally oriented discussion from Johns Hopkins University
ANA (American Nurses Association) Covid Resources.
An extensive collection of video and other resources regarding Covid - accessible for free
American COVID-19 Vaccine Poll
Hesitancy towards and access to COVID-19 vaccines among Americans
This data comes from a partnership between The African American Research Collaborative, the Commonwealth Fund. and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Over 12,000 American were surveyed to better understand access to and opinions about the vaccines, as well as messages and messengers that encourage different groups to get vaccinated.
Israel reports link between rare cases of heart inflammation and COVID-19 vaccination in young men
The COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech appears to put young men at elevated risk of developing a heart muscle inflammation called myocarditis according to Israeli research.
The report suggests that among the general population there is no significant increase from the "background rate" for the condition, but the increase was of more concern in the age 16 to 24 population.
Cases were mild and resolved within a few weeks.
SUBSIDIZED TRANSPORT TO VACCINE SITES FROM UBER AND LYFT
Uber and Lyft will provide free rides to and from vaccination sites until July 4 as part of a new partnership with the White House (announced May 11).
The service should be available through the Uber and Lyft apps begining May 24th.
This website features an incredible, accessible assortment of resources for communicating the vaccine message to various communities in multiple languages, including a site where you can create your own customized communication pieces, including diverse culturally appropriate messages and pictures, translated into whatever language you need.
Through this website you can register for a June 10th webinar: Create Covid-19 Health Messages That Speak to Your Community. I believe other recent presentations will be viewable on their site shortly.
Thanks again to Diane Judge for suggesting this resource!
CDC Guide for Community Partners
Increasing uptake among minority communities
A 22 page guide focusing on overcoming barriers to vaccination among racial and ethnic minority communities. Includes potential strategies, interventions and ready-made materials.
Vaccination Coverage by Zipcode - City of Chicago
A zoomable map that provides striking documentation of the disparities in vaccination coverage from one neighborhood to another in Chicago.
Suburban Cook County - Covid Surveillance Data
Up-to-date data on Covid in suburban Cook County. Information is broken down in multiple ways (town, ethnicity, age, race/ethnicity.
This database does not include information from Chicago, Evanston, Skokie, Oak Park and Stickney as those areas have their own health deparments
How does mRNA work? A simple video
A brief and simple video explanation in doodles of how mRNA works. Explains that the technology is NOT new and why an mRNA vaccine can not give you Covid.
Covid19 Ambassador Program
Statewide Program for Illinoisans to engage with and empower everyday Illinoisans to assist in COVID-19 outreach and prevention efforts. Page includes a link to enroll.
Updated WebSite - The Conversation - Between Us/About Us - Greater than Covid
Sometime ago, we posted links to "The Conversation" website. In the intervening months, this website has been extensively updated with numerous consumer oriented videos answring common questions about Covid and vaccines.
If you haven't visited the site recently, it's worth another look.
Click the link below to visit the site.
Mixing COVID-19 vaccines appears to boost immune responses
Preliminary data from international studies suggest that mixing first and second dose vaccine types enhances immune response - although at least one study suggests it may increase side effects.
Research Paper Exploring Possible Explanation for Blood Clots with some Covid Vaccines
The link takes you to a not yet peer-reviewed, pre-publication paper that suggests a possible mechanism for the blood clot problems encountered after some Covid vaccines.
The researchers posit that vaccines that use adenovirus vectors also transmit some of the adenovirus material into the nucleus of the cell, They suggest those proteins can provoke the blood clot events.
Vaccines using mRNA technology, including Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, send the vaccine material to the cellular fluid rather than the nucleus cells, avoiding the conditions that trigger the blood disorders
WE CAN DO THIS
Covid19 Public Education Campaign from HHS
An initiative to increase confidence in COVID-19 vaccines and reinforce basic prevention measures.
Features links to resources, tookits, a vaccine hesitancy map and a link to join the Covid19 Community Corps.
Resources can be sorted by audience, format, language and topic.
THE CONVERSATION
LA CONVERSACIÓN℠
Latinx doctors, nurses and promotoras provide accessible facts and dispel misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines.
Over 75 new FAQ videos, in English and Spanish, address common questions from the Latino community in this campaign from KFF’s Greater Than COVID and UnidosUS.
All of the content of THE CONVERSATION /LA CONVERSACIÓN is available rights-free for educational use
Vaccine Uptake in the Latinx Community
Interesting New York Times article Many Unvaccinated Latinos in the U.S. Want the Shot, New Survey Finds
addressing reasons vaccination rates lag in the Latinx community and strategies to address barriers.
City of Chicago Covid Dashboard
A starting page for access to extensive, up-to-date information about Covid in the City of Chicago. Includes links to information about vulnerable communities, vaccination projects, and detailed statistics
Vaccine Hesitant: What Are They Thinking?
Interesting article from the Atlantic Monthly. The author spoke with multiple vaccine refusers and provides an elucidates reasons they offer for their unwillingness to take the vaccine.
How to Talk About COVID-19 Vaccines With Friends and Family
A two page PDF flyer from "We Can Do This" - the HHS Covid-19 Public Education Campaign
COVID-19 Conversations: The Fourth Wave — Vaccines, Variants and the Future
Video from the APHA (American Public Health Association) and National Library of Medicine. The video is excellent, but it is lengthy (about 90 minure) The video was recorded Sept 2, 2021.
The presentation focuses specifically on the delta variant, implications for children under the age of 12, what the rise of this highly infectious variant means for vaccinated and unvaccinated adults and adolescents, and what it will take to move past this surge and end the pandemic
Late May Data from Chicago Department of Public Health - Some very interesting information
Extensive information about case rates, vaccine uptake etc. in the Chicago area.
The data demonstrates an inverse relationship (no surprise) between vaccinations and cases. It also clearly documents which geographical areas in Chicago and which ethnic groups are most in need of improvement.
IMPACT
Extensive and Regularly Updated List of Vaccine Sites and Information Resources
This extensive list maintained by Dr. Halleh Akbarnia's IMPACT organization can be an extremely helpful resource.
Persistence of Immunity - Good News - especially for those who have had Covid + vaccinations
New York Times article reporting new research suggesting immunity may persist for years, especially among people who have had Covid and then also been
vaccinated. Such people may not need a booster.
This research can be helpful convincing people who have had Covid to still get vaccinated.
Meet the Four Kinds of People Holding Us Back From Full Vaccination
Interesting article from the NY Times. The author divides the vaccine resistant into four groups: Wait & see; Cost anxious, System distrustful and Covid skeptical.
The author provides statistics by state delineating the percentage in that state who fall into each category!
Thank you Diane Judge for finding this resource.
Online Vaccine Ambassador Course
A free two hour online course sponsored by City Colleges, CCDPH and Partners in Health. Topics covered:
-
Background on COVID-19 and the U.S. healthcare system
-
History of mistrust and the root causes of vaccine hesitancy
-
Answers to the most frequently asked COVID-19 vaccine questions
-
How to approach difficult vaccine conversations
How Covid-19 is impacting people of color differently
Article from Healthline that includes survey data regarding health inequities by ethnicity. Scroll down the same webpage to see another article that discusses the disproportionate workplace exposure to Covid among Latinx populations.
Faith, Freedom, Fear: Rural America’s Covid Vaccine Skeptics
NY Times article that focuses on vaccine skepticism among rural and religious populations - but the information is relevant for understanding the impulse among some people in more urban areas as well.
Let's Vaccinate as ONE
A moving video from AFSCME Council 31: the largest public service union in Illinois, representing some 100,000 active and retired employee of state, county and city governments, state universities, local school districts and nonprofit agencies.
CDC Guidance: Planning a Vaccination Clinic
A detailed presentation from the CDC about organizing a vaccination clinic.
Emergency Use Authorization Explained
Covid Resources in Multiple Languages
A link to a spreadsheet that provides resources for Asian-American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. Use the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet to view the different resources.
The Conversation a Video with W. Kamau Bell
W. Kamau Bell joins Black doctors, nurses and researchers to dispel misinformation and provide accessible facts about the COVID-19 vaccines in a new video series to help Black people with this important decision.
CDC FAQ on Coronavirus
Links to extensive questions and plain English answers to multiple questions and concerns about Covid-19 and the vaccines