This week seems to have marked a turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic with the lifting of masking mandates and vaccine checks in Chicago. But as spring approaches, it’s also a reminder that we’ve been here before.
Juanita Mora
We’re about to enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. And with news that the omicron wave has passed its peak in Chicago, a light begins to appear at the end of the tunnel. But public health advocates are warning the city’s residents not to let their guards down just yet.
An advisory panel with the Food and Drug Administration is recommending that the agency authorize COVID-19 booster shots for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. However, in Latino communities, rates of initial vaccination are still lagging.
A recent South Side Weekly report used city data to show that Chicago’s vaccine disparity is widening between wealthier parts of the city, like the Loop, and areas on the South and West sides with a majority of Black and brown residents.
Health officials recommended a pause on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine this week after six people experienced rare but severe blood clots. We discuss the situation—and concerns about vaccine hesitancy—with Dr. Juanita Mora, an allergist and immunologist at the Chicago Allergy Center.
A look back on the impact of the pandemic on the Latino community after one year, with doctors Marina del Rios, Juanita Mora and Evelyn Figueroa.
As those of us who are accustomed to sniffling, coughing and sneezing our way through spring and summer already know, it’s allergy season. But during a pandemic, those coughs could signal something more than a high pollen count.
