In reporting on low COVID-19 vaccination numbers in Chicago's Englewood and South Austin communities, City Bureau investigates what locals think about the vaccine and how these predominantly Black communities have proactively responded to COVID-19 and low inoculation numbers. Our reporting includes inside views from public health professionals, an analysis of up-to-date vaccination data and a virtual panel where local Black leaders discuss how medical mistrust impacts COVID-19 vaccine rates.

Header illustration by Jiba Molei Anderson

Stories by the Team

Featured
Screen Shot 2021-12-22 at 12.50.03 PM.png
Vax Chat: Why Community Must Continue to Overcome Fear

Howard Brown Health put together a panel of Englewood community leaders to combat COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.

“It’s Real.” Community Leader Calls on Black Chicagoans to Consider COVID-19 Vaccine
“It’s Real.” Community Leader Calls on Black Chicagoans to Consider COVID-19 Vaccine

After six weeks of relying on a ventilator to breathe during his difficult bout with COVID-19, Eddie White urges other Black Chicagoans to take the virus seriously.

Square 4x4.jpg
Against All Odds: Black Health Experts Weigh In On COVID-19 Vaccine Woes in Englewood
cdc-GZkhG_EvWfY-unsplash.jpg
In Englewood and South Austin, What Do Chicagoans Say About Low Vaccination Rates?

We spoke with everyday Chicagoans in two neighborhoods with vaccination rates significantly lower than the city’s average.

Who Are We?

This fall, four City Bureau Civic Reporting Fellows reported on low vaccination rates and the efforts underway to improve them, nearly a year after the first COVID-19 vaccine was introduced. 

From left: Eric Cox (team leader), Daniel Corral, Jonathan Wilson and Daniela Jaime (Photo: Samantha Cabrera Friend)