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With Vaccination Rates Dropping, Chicago Sending Vaccine Buses To Neighborhoods Where Shots Are Lagging

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A grassroots effort is underway to reverse declining COVID-19 vaccination rates in Chicago.

The current average number of daily doses given out in Chicago is just under 13,000, a decrease of 59% from the peak last month.

So the Chicago Department of Public Health is coming up with a unique way to drive up those numbers.

CBS 2's Jermont Terry takes us to the West Side, where mobile vaccine buses are coming to a neighborhood near you.

At Moore Park in the Austin neighborhood, you'll find a special CTA bus parked with a purpose.

Creola Collins was among those in line on Saturday to hop on the bus. She's one of many who still had not signed up or received the COVID-19 vaccine.

"Driving past, and I jumped on out the car, and here I am," she said. "At first I said I wasn't going to do it, but, you know, I dropped that fear, and I am here."

This comes after city health leaders made it easier for people to get vaccinated; with vaccine buses completely staffed with health professionals to get you in and out.

"It's a lot of people around here don't know [the vaccine buses are] out here. They need to come out," Collins said.

In the coming weeks, you'll see more of these buses pop up in communities across the city. Officials are specifically targeting ZIP codes where the number of people vaccinated is much lower than expected.

"A lot of those are more on the West Side and more on the South Side," said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. "Those are the communities that have been hit the hardest by COVID. And more and more and we're seeing in communities that not as many people are getting vaccinated, that's where we're still seeing a lot of people still going into the hospital or getting seriously sick with COVID. So we want to send the bus to those areas to make sure everybody's got the access, and we can help keep the community safe."

It's a community effort stretching into the south suburbs too. In Calumet City the Polished Pebbles non-profit kicked off a Mother's Day weekend block party with a vaccination site too.

Kelly Fair, who mentors young girls, says this is another way to celebrate mothers for being great role models, by keeping them and everyone around them safe through vaccines.

"What better way to celebrate moms while they empower themselves, and thereby empower their daughters, to learn and be the best, and shine the best way they can too?" she said.

Back on the bus on the West Side, Collins is one step closer to hugging family and staying safe.

In addition to rolling out the buses, community volunteers are going door to door, encouraging residents to get informed about vaccine safety.

The buses offer either Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson shots, with no appointments needed.

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