The Oak Park Public Health Department is expecting an increase in the rate of COVID-19 infections this fall and winter as the chillier weather will cause more people to congregate indoors.
People should take precautions, officials said.
“Everyone should get vaccinated,” said Oak Park Public Health Director Theresa Chapple-McGruder.
And while the rollout of the latest version of the COVID-19 shot is underway, most Oak Park residents should not expect to get the inoculation through the Oak Park Public Health Department.
COVID-19 countermeasures, such as vaccines and tests, are no longer available through the health department because it no longer receives the vaccine for free through the federal government because the federal public health emergency declaration ended in May. Instead, they should look to their physicians or nearby clinics.
That’s because federal law requires private insurers to cover the cost of vaccines for in-network providers. For the village to host a clinic, it would need to purchase the vaccine from manufacturers, which costs about $125 per person.
“That is not something the village is able to provide to the community because we don’t have the money,” Chapple-McGruder said.
However, for those who are uninsured and underinsured, a village-run clinic is being planned. Those vaccines will be free, too, because the health department is able to procure some doses of the updated vaccine through the state, according to Chapple-McGruder. The clinic is expected to take place at the end of the month.
Staying healthy
COVID-19 protocols have fluctuated since the virus was introduced, so to protect yourself and others this season, Oak Park Public Health Chapple-McGruder offered these reminders:
- Vaccines:
People aged six months and older are eligible for the vaccine. The initial COVID-19 vaccination requires a series of two shots. After completing the original series, an annual COVID-19 shot is recommended. The vaccine is also safe for nursing parents; protective antibodies from the vaccine can be passed onto the infant through breastfeeding, according to Chapple-McGruder.
- Isolation: After testing positive for COVID-19, infected individuals should isolate for five days.
- Testing: Take an at-home rapid antigen test three to five days after being exposed, then if you test negative, test again the following day. Chapple-McGruder recommended testing once a day for a period of three to four days because of the virus’s incubation period, which ranges from two to 14 days. Tests are available at village hall.
- Masking: A pandemic staple, the mask that covers the nose and the mouth limits the spread of COVID-19 by reducing the number of infectious particles being inhaled and exhaled. N95 surgical masks work best.
“Wear a mask and be considerate of your neighbors because you don’t know who’s at high risk of severe disease, you don’t know who’s at high risk of hospitalization,” Chapple-McGruder said.