Booster rates increase as Omicron approaches
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
As Chicagoans worry about the arrival of the Omicron variant, health officials say the best way to prepare — and to reduce current high levels of Delta — is to vaccinate and boost.
Why it matters: COVID-19 vaccination rates are still pretty low in certain communities and school groups where transmission is high.
- And as Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) chief Allison Arwady explains, low vaccination rates actually drive new variants.
By the numbers: As of last week, 77% of Chicagoans 12 and up had gotten at least one shot.
- 49.6% of CPS students 12 and up are fully vaccinated.
- 12.6% of CPS students 5 to 11 have gotten their first shot.
- 12 times more COVID cases happen in largely unvaccinated CPS elementary school students compared to the higher-vaccinated high school students.
Booster news: In anticipation of Omicron, the CDC strengthened its guidance this week on adult boosters, now recommending people "should" get them.
- CDPH tells Axios that 23.3% of Chicagoans over 18 and 32.6% over 50 have gotten boosted.
- This may seem astonishing since the CDC only opened boosters to all adults under 65 two weeks ago, but we know that lots of Chicagoans didn't wait that long.
- Chicago seniors over 65 now have a booster rate of 45.5%, about 10 points higher than a few weeks ago.
- These numbers mirror national data almost exactly.
Fun fact: Chicagoans who are most likely to be vaccinated are Asian women between 50 and 59 years old — in other words, Monica.