Homewood Mayor Encourages Residents To Get COVID-19 Vaccine

HOMEWOOD, IL — The Village of Homewood is encouraging all eligible residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine, as cases continue to rise across Illinois, according to a news release from the village.

The village's recommendation follows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granting full approval to the Pfizer vaccine, as well as continued guidance from both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), which maintains that vaccines are the best way to protect our communities and move towards a post-pandemic world, the release states.

The Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) states Homewood, alone, has reported 30 new cases of COVID-19 this past week. More than half of Homewood is vaccinated, at 56.2 percent. About 67.9 percent of Homewood residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the CCDPH.

“Vaccines have shown to be instrumental in preventing severe illness and death from COVID-19, and I encourage all residents who have not been vaccinated already to talk with their doctor to see if getting vaccinated is right for them. By getting vaccinated, we can better combat the highly transmissible Delta variant, help Homewood move past this pandemic, and fully recover. We are all in this together,” said Mayor Rich Hofeld.

Those inoculated are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose if receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after receiving the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The CDC recently recommended those who are moderate to severely immunocompromised should receive a third dose if they received either Pfizer or Moderna.

Vaccines are effective against severe illness and death from COVID-19, as well as variants currently circulating in the United States, including the Delta variant, according to the CDC.

The CDC’s COVID data tracker tracks cases, deaths, and transmission trends at the state and county level. Currently, all Illinois counties meet the metrics for substantial to high community transmission.