Letter: Cook County reaches vaccine milestone

I am proud to say that this week Cook County Health administered our 1 millionth dose of COVID-19 vaccine. We are among the first health systems in the country to accomplish this level of success in vaccinating our communities.

This achievement is made possible by the hard work of our team and our partners and the trust placed in us by the residents we serve. This milestone represents lives saved, families kept whole and a turning of the tide of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We immunized people at six mass vaccination sites across the county, at our hospitals and health centers and at mobile vaccine events in parks, churches, festivals and more. We worked tirelessly to remove barriers to vaccination by extending hours, welcoming walk-ins and bringing vaccines to places where people were already going.

Our efforts to make vaccines accessible to all continue at full steam. We still see people every week who are coming in for their first shot. Many individuals are now eligible for second boosters and we look forward to the day when vaccines are made available to the youngest children. We will not stop until everyone has this critical protection against COVID-19.

If you came to Cook County Health to get vaccinated, thank you. Thank you for trusting us and trusting the science behind the vaccines, which remain our best way to fully move beyond this pandemic.

If you have not yet gotten your initial vaccine or your booster, our doors are open. Join your many friends and neighbors who have protected themselves to the fullest. To learn more about vaccination or where you can get a shot, visit MyShotCookCounty.com.

Israel Rocha, CEO

Cook County Health