Health officials: Nearly 9 percent of suburban Cook County residents have been fully vaccinated

In suburban Cook County, 199,501 people — 8.8 percent of residents — have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as of March 12, health officials said in a Monday town hall.

Data show 409,108 suburban Cook County residents — 18 percent of the population — have had at least one vaccine dose.

Second dose appointments represent 75 percent of all vaccines this week at Cook County Health (CCH) sites.

In efforts to expand capacities and “ensure an equitable distribution of vaccine in vulnerable communities,” CCH has opened dozens of points of distribution (PODs) across Chicago and the suburbs.

As of March 12, 24,063 and 48,599 first- and second-dose vaccines have been administered total at Cook County Health’s Chicago and suburban PODs, respectively.

At CCH’s Mega PODs, 115,311 vaccines have been administered. CCH’s targeted pods, open to specific eligible populations such as teachers or police officers, have administered 9,995 vaccines.

Data from health officials show most COVID-19 vaccines have been given in the northern suburbs, with 21 percent of the population having at least one dose. In the western suburbs, 16.2 percent have had at least one shot; in the southwest suburbs, 18.7 percent and in the southern suburbs, 13.7 percent.