Lack of funding could be contributing to low COVID booster rates, Chicago's top doctor says

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Local health experts say a lack of money could be contributing to the low COVID-19 booster rates across the country.

With federal funding drying up, there's little money for outreach programs to encourage people to get the lifesaving shots.

With the holiday season upon us, COVID booster rates in Chicago and nationwide remain low - even among those who are most at risk for death: seniors.

"Both the U.S and Chicago level, not even 1 in 3 people over 65 have had the booster," said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Dept. of Public Health. "That is my biggest concern so far."

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Dr. Arwady is especially concerned because COVID funding from the federal government is drying up.

"We didn't get additional funding for vaccine outreach like we did first time around," Arwady said. "It hurts me because I know what works for vaccine outreach, especially funding organizations that are doing the door knocking."

Almost 90% CDPH's budget comes from federal funds. Dr. Arwady said losing hundreds of millions of COVID dollars over the next couple years will have a trickle-down effect on other public health crises, like opioid-related deaths. They account for more deaths in Chicago than homicides and car crashes combined.

"We really should be funding public health like we fund a lot of other things, by population and based on risk as opposed to disease, which is how public health funding is now," Arwady said.

Dr. Arwady said when the disease goes away, so does the funding and the system set up to fight it. She said it would be helpful to use the same COVID outreach workers for things like diabetes prevention and education.