October 25, 2021 (Chicago) – Vaccination mandates are a critical step in protecting the health and well-being of the nation. Illinois Unidos, a consortium of over 100 Illinois elected and appointed officials, health and medical professionals, researchers, representatives of community-based organizations, and other stakeholders, supports the city of Chicago’s vaccination mandate.  Our members have been at the forefront of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic by conducting culturally competent and linguistically appropriate community outreach and education, delivering vaccines to COVID hot spots, policy advocacy and have been working towards an equitable COVID-19 response and recovery for the state’s Latino population.

Chicago’s Latinos have been hard hit by the pandemic, with more than 1 in every 10 Latinos having or have had COVID.  Latinos also have high rates of hospitalization and deaths, and long-haulers (individuals who have recovered, but show post-COVID fatigue, breathing problems, and other symptoms), which will require mental health and medical care. 

Illinois Unidos’ Executive Director, Alejandra L. Ibáñez, testified at today’s Chicago City Council meeting in support of the vaccination mandate.

Illinois Unidos supports vaccination as a vital step in ending the pandemic.  While some headway has occurred in the number of people vaccinated, we have not reached herd immunity. Indeed, only 53% of Chicago’s Latinos have been vaccinated.

The science is precise: vaccinations work. The nation’s history demonstrated concerns about the public good through vaccination campaigns undertaken to address polio, the common flu/influenza, and other ailments.  Unfortunately, with new outbreaks and the Delta variant, there is an urgency to double down on measures to halt the spread of the virus.  

Illinois Unidos’ membership strongly supports mandatory vaccination of all public employees, such as police officers who are in regular and daily contact with Chicagoans, including  immune-compromised individuals, the elderly, and the non-vaccinated and at higher risk to contract COVID19).  Police officers have taken a public oath to serve and protect.  During this time, and amid a deadly pandemic, serving and protecting our great city requires a fully vaccinated Chicago Police Department.

Illinois Unidos supports vaccination as the vital step in ending the pandemic.  Unfortunately, while some headway has occurred in the number of people vaccinated, we have not reached herd immunity. Indeed, only 53% of Chicago’s Latinos have been vaccinated.

The science is precise: vaccinations work. The nation’s history demonstrated concerns about the public good through vaccination campaigns undertaken to address polio, the common flu/influenza, and other ailments.  Unfortunately, with new outbreaks and the Delta virus, there is an urgency to double down on measures to halt the spread of the virus.  

Therefore, Illinois Unidos’ membership strongly urges the vaccination of all public employees, including police officers who are in regular and daily contact with Chicagoans, including those vulnerable to contracting the virus (including immune-compromised individuals, the elderly, and the non-vaccinated).  Police officers have taken a public oath to serve and protect.  During this time, and amid a deadly pandemic, serving and protecting our great city requires the full collaboration of the Chicago Police Department.

###

Public Testimony in support of Mayor Lightfoot vaccination mandate

Monday, October 25, 2021

Alejandra L. Ibáñez, Executive Director, Illinois Unidos

“Good morning Mayor and members of the city council.

“My name is Alejandra Ibáñez and I am the executive director of Illinois Unidos, a statewide consortium of over 100 Illinois elected and appointed officials, health and medical professionals, researchers,  community-based organization leaders, and community members. 

“We came together last spring to ensure an equitable Covid-19 response and recovery for the state’s Latinx population, which includes consistent, cultural competent and linguistically appropriate outreach, messaging, and access that is free from systemic barriers that People of Color, including Latinos, from accessing to healthcare and a quality of life.

“Illinois Unidos is here to support the city of Chicago’s vaccination mandate for public servants.

“Police officers are public servants, and make an oath to serve and protect.

“Hundreds of licensed professionals are held to consistent statewide standards. Doctors adhere to the same medical board regulations.

“Police should be held to the same standards as other public servants and healthcare providers.  This discrepancy undermines the ability of the public to hold police officers responsible.

“Everyone stands to benefit from the vaccination mandates; Vaccination doesn’t only protect the person who gets vaccinated. It protects everybody around them too. Even people who are unaffected by the mandates will benefit from the ripple effects of higher vaccination rates.”

“Even Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease official has shared that “More police officers die of COVID than they do in other causes of death, so it doesn’t make any sense to not try to protect yourself as well as the colleagues that you work with,”

“More than 230 police officers in the U.S. have died of COVID-19 so far in 2021, more than quadruple the number of deaths by gunfire. Last year, the coronavirus killed nearly 250 officers nationwide, including four in Chicago.

“We are not free from Covid. Despite a decline of covid positivity rate, Covid related hospitalizations and other clinical outcomes remain high. The only way to eliminate Covid is through obtaining a higher vaccination rate.

“Our communities of color have already paid the highest price with disproportionate rates of Covid-19 infection, hospitalization, and death. 

“And my message to our Latino police officers “We need your cooperation, Our community has already been hit incredibly hard by this pandemic. We need your partnership in this. This pandemic has caused us so much pain, suffering, and trauma. Only by working together can we collectively resolve this public health crisis.”

For more information or to interview participants including Health Experts / Elected Officials / Community Stakeholders, see contacts listed above.