Thread by @BauerJournalism

Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Dr. Allison Arwady and CPS CEO Pedro Martinez will have a COVID-19 update at 9:15 a.m. I'll live tweet.

Follow for updates and let me know if you have questions.

blockclubchicago.org/2021/11/04/chi…

Waiting on this to begin, but looks like it'll start soon.

You'll be able to watch here:

https://twitter.com/ChiPublicHealth/status/1456629011384258571

John Cunningham, chief of pediatrics at Comer Children's: "This week has been a long time coming for pediatric health care providers, for parents and, most importantly, for children." Kids 5-11 can now get vaccinated. 28 million nationwide, including 5 million+ in our region.

Lightfoot: "Our message remains the same: The vaccine is safe. It is free. And it is widely available and fundamentally is the best defense that we have against COVID-19. Whether you're 5 years old or 85 years old ... ."

Lightfoot: "We have an important opportunity to further protect the lives of our youngest residents from this virus and its variants."

Lightfoot: "Equity and inclusion will be at the center of this one, as well." Hospitalization rates three times higher among Black, Latinx and American Indian children.

Lightfoot: On Nov. 12 (week from today), city employees will have two hours of paid time to take their kids to get vaccinated and to get vaccinated themselves/get a booster.

Lightfoot: "It's my hope and expectation that other institutions and businesses will follow the city's lead" and give workers time off to get vaccinated and get shots for their kids.

Arwady: "It has been a fantastic couple of days planning for and starting to vaccinate 5- to 11-year-olds here in Chicago."

Arwady: "I promised you last week this wouldn't be like 'The Hunger Games,' and it's not." As of yesterday, Chicago had received 50K+ pediatric doses. We're on track to receive about 100,000 a week from today.

Arwady: CPS will have a day off to promote vaccine. City workers will have two hours off.

"It's also about two weeks before Thanksgiving ... . If you're due for a booster, get it then so that you're able to be the most protected as possible for gathering."

Martinez: "This is a historic day."

Martinez: "It was a difficult decision for us to cancel classes on Friday the 12th. I know that it's creating challenges for our parents. ... But it is so important, it is so important as we look at the rest of the school year to make this key investment now to make sure ...

"our kids can get vaccinated."

Martinez: Holidays are coming and we've seen how cases rise after holidays. CPS is still quarantining kids.

"The shots are free. The shots are safe." No information about your documentation/status will be asked.

Doctor: "If your child gets COVID, it could negatively impact their future health. ... Now is not the time for 'wait and see.' With the holidays around the corner, get your child vaccinated. Let's put an end to this pandemic."

Dr. Allison Bartlett: We're administering these vaccines under the most intensely vaccine safety monitoring system in U.S. history.

Bartlett: "We all have to make a decision to vaccinate our children or not."

Bartlett: We have seen cases of myocarditis in about 1 in 10,000 or 1 in 20,000 in young adults, primarily in young men, after vaccination.

There were no cases of myocarditis seen in the 5-11 group in this trial.

Bartlett: She has three sons, including twins who turned 12 last month. They got their first dose of the vaccine shortly after their birthday. They get their second shots Tuesday.

Her 9-year-old is going to get his vaccine today.

...

"I am so excited that we are gonna be a fully protected family by mid-December. Clinical trials in children and the intense scrutiny have shown the science is clear: The benefits ... far outweigh the risk."

Doc: The pediatric vaccine is 1/3rd an adult dose. It's .2 milliliters. It's delivered with a shorter needle.

Doc: Help your child feel like they're part of the club when they get their vaccine.

If you haven't been vaccinated yet, consider it. It may be important for them to share this experience with you.

Dr. Rachel Caskey: Vaccines are a normal part of pediatric and preventive health care.

Kids can be motivated by a small reward/treat after vaccination.

It's important to normalize vaccination as an important health behavior at all ages.

Martinez: They'll do outreach to families and give them information on vaccinations, including what providers will be doing shots.

He'll do media events to "plead" employers to give workers time off to get kids vaccinated.

"It's gonna be a full, citywide effort."

Martinez: This is an investment for the rest of the school year to prevent kids being quarantined, etc.

Doctor: We're still seeing a very high surge in respiratory illness in children, and all the children's hospitals are close to full. Families and kids should continue to take precautions, like wearing masks, social distancing.

Arwady and Lightfoot say they'll share more info soon on everything that will happen for Nov. 12 vaccine day.

Arwady: "We anticipate there being vaccine available at more than 200 locations across the city specifically for pediatrics."

Arwady: "The whole city is going to be able to receive vaccine. ... Make it a family affair. Let's get it done."

Arwady: Studies have already been going on for kids all the way down to 6 months. Perhaps early next year, maybe in first quarter, we may have vaccines for 2- to 4-year-olds. "Always, safety comes first."

Arwady: For Thanksgiving: "The most important thing is that anybody who is age-eligible has gotten a vaccine." They'd love to see kids 5-11 having had a first dose.

Arwady: We're in such a better place than we were last Thanksgiving because of vaccine.

Arwady: She does expect there to be a rise in cases after holidays, but she expects it to fall "heavily" on unvaccinated folks and unvaccinated communities.

Martinez: They're not planning to cancel class for kids' second shot.

He wants to talk to Arwady about how to give parents guidance for timing that shot.

Arwady: Every weekend going into January will have larger pediatric vaccination clinics (save Thanksgiving weekend).

Martinez: "We don't have any indicators that that was gonna be the case [a massive staff shortage next Friday]. I'll tell you, I would never have canceled classes — in fact, I just don't do that; once we have a calendar, I know how parents plan around that calendar." ...

He's only doing it now because of the approval for kids 5-11. They wanted to "make an investment for the rest of the school year." And the best way to do that was to give staff and families time to get kids vaccinated.

Martinez: Ivan Hansen is working on facilities (after other chief was removed).

Lightfoot: We are cooperating with investigation into Loretto. "They've asked individuals questions about things related to Loretto. I don't want to go any further because there is an ongoing investigation." She won't say anything more.

blockclubchicago.org/2021/11/02/fbi…

Lightfoot: She's very "disappointed" and distressed to see what's happened in the lifeguard program.

Lightfoot: "Avis LaVelle has given a lot of service to this city over decades." She'll make a decision relatively soon about her future with the Park District.

Lightfoor: The state's attorney is conducting a "fullsome investigation, and I think a lot of things will be covered, particularly regarding board interactions." She expects LaVelle's texts will be covered, too.

Lightfoot defends decision for CPS not to test every student/staff weekly: We have a very thorough, very well-though-out vaccination distribution plan.

"The plan itself, I think, is very well tested."