Three months after Chicago began administering the COVID-19 vaccine to police officers, knowledge from the Chicago Police Department shows that only a quarter of the department’s workers won at least one injection at a city-run site.
Experts say a low vaccination rate for agents interacting with others across the city is harmful to public health.
Dr. Robert Murphy, executive director of Northwestern University’s Global Health Institute, said Chicago’s citizens are “disappointed” through his police force for not taking credit for COVID-19 vaccines distributed at CPD sites.
“The police already have a reputation in many parts of town that is not very positive, so in addition to all the other disorders with the police, the fact that they are not vaccinated and are not infecting COVID there, is not going to happen. “to his position in the community, ” said Murphy.
Mr. Murphy, if there’s any doubt about vaccines in the police department, it’s “terrible for public health. “
“They travel among other neighborhoods within a neighborhood and between neighborhoods, as well as being in relatively close neighborhoods at a police station and treating [the arrested] nearby. Everything is spreading, you know, infection,” Murphy said. one of those police officers becomes a super spreader, which possibly won’t happen if you’re vaccinated, you can just pass it on to dozens of people. “
Chicago began administering the COVID-19 vaccine to CPD officials and other workers last January, and CPD began organizing the vaccines on February 1.
As of April 27, for the department, 3,581 CPD members had won at least one vaccine opposed to COVID-19, or 27% of the overall workforce.
Spokesman Luis Agostini said officials may have been shot through themselves in places like Walgreens or Mariano, but said the branch still houses vaccines and actively works to inspire workers to get vaccinated through communications on the branch intranet.
Earlier this year, the branch sent several emails to officials about the vaccine and worked with police unions to inspire vaccination.
“It is imperative that the DPC vaccinate as many of our members as possible,” said Michele Morris, department manager, at the time.
Reluctance to vaccinate has been a challenge in law enforcement agencies across the country. Locally, the Cook County sheriff reports that 45% of his workers have won at least one injection of the COVID-19 vaccine in the county. % had taken the vaccine in the state as of April 12.
Officials, who spoke to WBEZ on an anonymity because they are allowed to speak to the media, said colleagues who know they refused to be vaccinated said they were more involved than them about the possible side effects of the vaccine. .
Dr. Romy Block, an endocrinologist and author of the Chicago area, said concern about side effects is not an unusual explanation for why other people hesitate to get vaccinated.
“Anything new can be really scary and we hear a lot about it” this hasn’t been studied enough “or” I don’t need to be the first,” Block said. “Well, now we’ve given millions of vaccines”. around the world and we have a lot of counterfeit knowledge and we don’t really see any long-term effects, but the dangers of not getting vaccinated remain very high. “
Block and Murphy say the number of vaccinated agents will increase as they see their peers getting vaccinated.
Jim Lew, a member of the CPD Community Police Advisory Committee, said the idea that politics can be simply reluctant. Lee said many Chicago officials identify as politically conservative, an organization that, according to national polls, is less likely to be vaccinated.
Lew said he was surprised that vaccination rates at the CPD site were not high given the threat of agents contracting the new coronavirus and potentially taking it to their families.
Lew said it was neither fair nor useful to direct anger that opposes officials if they refuse to get vaccinated, but that low rates are attributed to society’s failure to better educate the public.
But Jim Blissitt, a network leader on Chicago’s south side, said officials had a duty to themselves and others for the potentially fatal virus.
For example, unmasked police officers have been a common complaint since the start of the pandemic, and Blissitt said the refusal to be masked or vaccinated is frustrating because citizens have no selection when they interact strongly with the police. reinforced the belief among some Chicago citizens that officials do not believe they deserve to adhere to the rules.
“If you don’t diminish your window when an officer manipulates you, you risk getting shot. Then you’d better beef up if you’re going to manipulate me and make me have that six-foot touch with you. it’s alarming and, again, it generates hypocrisy,” Blissitt said.
Patrick Smith is a reporter for the WBEZ Criminal Justice Office. Follow him on @pksmid. Send a message to psmith@wbez. org.