70 Percent Of Oak Forest Residents Are Vaccinated: CCDPH

OAK FOREST, IL — The City of Oak Forest and the Orland Hills have both reached an important milestone in distributing the COVID-19 vaccine, according to representatives from Cook County Department of Public Health.

Public health officials announced Thursday 70 percent of the population from each town has received one shot of Johnson & Johnson or at least one shot from a two-shot series like Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech. The percentage includes all residents above 5 years old.

The special distinction is part of CCDPH's "70 over 70" campaign, which began when officials designated 70 communities within suburban Cook County that had not yet reached the 70 percent marker.

"Ensuring that each city and town reaches 70 percent will go a long way toward putting COVID-19 behind us in Cook County," said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. "We have a long way to go, but it's important to celebrate key milestones along the way."

Berwyn and Cicero also reached 70 percent last week. Both towns were listed as "priority communities," which were chosen using a social vulnerability index that measured towns' needs with their resources. Factors like average household income, minority status, pre-existing health conditions and transportation were taken into account.

Communities were informed of their designation in early November. As of December, 50 of the original 70 communities were still at less than 70 percent vaccinated.