Cook County Department of Public Health

Our jurisdiction is within suburban Cook County, with the exception of Chicago, Evanston, Skokie, Oak Park, and Stickney Township.

Under the direction of the Cook County Health & Hospitals System (CCHHS) Board of Directors, the CCDPH holds regular board meetings. The Board is responsible for overseeing a budget of almost $1 billion to provide medical care to the citizens of Cook County. For a listing of board meetings visit the CCHHS meeting calendar.

Our agency no longer handles the vital records for the County. To obtain a new birth/death certificate, please contact the Cook County Clerk's Office.

Please contact our Communicable Disease department at (708) 633-8030 or use our complaint form.

If the facility is located in unincorporated Cook County or one of the municipalities listed on our website.

To report a complaint about a food establishment in unincorporated Cook County or in one of the 35 contract towns, contact Kamala Nagaraj at (708) 974-7118 or use our complaint form.

You may contact the Illinois Department of Public Health at (708) 544-5300 or visit http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/fdd/fdd_fs_certificate.htm for more information.

For temporary events located in unincorporated Cook County or one of the municipalities listed on our website, you may contact us at 708-974-7118 for a copy of our temporary regulations. Otherwise, please contact the local municipality directly. Visit http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/fdd/fdd_fs_tempfood.htm for more information.

For inquiries within the City of Chicago, please contact the Chicago Department of Public Health food services.

During school year 2012-2013, students entering sixth and ninth grades will be required to provide documentation of receipt of one dose of Tdap. Tdap is a vaccine licensed and recommended to protect pre-teens, adolescents and adults against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough). Tdap is licensed for routine use on or after the 10th birthday. Please note that students entering six and ninth grades are also required to have school physicals. For more information on this rule, click here.

To receive immunizations from CCDPH, one of the following eligibility requirements needs to met:

• Age 0-18 years of age
• Enroll in Medicaid
• Uninsured
• Native American or Alaskan Indian
• Under-insured (your health insurance won't pay for your children to be vaccinated)

No, immunizations are not provided to adults (over the age of 18 years). However, Hepatitis A and B vaccine may be provided as part of clinical services. Contact our clinic staff for more information or to make an appointment.

The Cook County Department of Public Health only has immunization records for people who received immunizations with our agency. CCDPH does not keep records of immunizations administered by other providers. Please contact our Vaccine Preventable Disease Unit at (708) 633-8030 to obtain a copy of the immunization “shot” record.

For inquiries within the City of Chicago, please contact the Chicago Department of Public Health.

Please download the Three Steps to Obtain a GBL document.

To find out more about Cook County's GBL Guide please download this fact sheet.

Please download the GBL FAQ document.

Molds are small organisms found almost everywhere, inside and outside, including on plants, foods and dry leaves. They can be nearly any color – white, orange, green or black. Molds are beneficial to the environment and are needed to break down dead material. Very tiny and lightweight, mold spores travel easily through the air. Visit our Healthy Environments page for more information.

The first complaint should be to the property owner. Your landlord can’t fix a problem they have not been informed of. If the property owner is not responding or not taking action to fix the problem, residents should call their local building department. Residents in unincorporated Cook County can call the Cook County Department of Public at 708-974-7117 or use our complaint form.

No, CCDPH does not test for mold. Inspections done by CCDPH are visual only. Even if testing is done, no standards or guidelines exist for acceptable levels of mold.

Testing for mold is very difficult and expensive. Residents must hire a contractor to test their homes. Testing cannot determine whether health effects will occur. Mold is normally found outdoors and levels fluctuate from day to day depending on the season. Due to these uncertainties, testing is not recommended in most cases.

Many molds can cause adverse health effects. Molds produce allergens, irritants and, sometimes, toxins that may cause adverse reactions in humans. A reaction to mold depends on how much a person is exposed to, the general health and age of a person and the person’s sensitivities or allergies. The same amount of mold may cause health effects in one person, but not in another. Visit our Healthy Environments page for more information.

No, CCDPH does not provide screening for cholesterol, diabetes, or high blood pressure. Please visit our other health resources page for information on where to go for these services.

At this time the CCDPH does not have a mobile unit to travel to these events.

What dental services do we offer, and where can I access them?

Visit our clinical services page for more information.

At health fairs/event the CCDPH does not offer screenings and immunization services, with the exception of Blood Lead screenings.

At this time no immunizations are offered outside of our clinic locations.

No, CCDPH staff does not spray for mosquitoes. Spraying for mosquitoes (or adult mosquito control) is done by one of the four mosquito abatement districts in suburban Cook County or by a private contractor.

Residents should contact their local mosquito abatement district (see below).

• Desplaines Valley Mosquito Abatement District : (708) 447-1765
• North Shore Mosquito Abatement District : (847) 446-9434
• Northwest Mosquito Abatement District : (847) 537-2306
• South Cook County Mosquito Abatement District : (708) 333-4120

No, CCDPH does not provide primary medical care services. Please visit our other health resources page for information on where to go for these services.

Most of our clinical service fees are on a case by case basis, and some are based on a sliding scale. The best way to find out how much our services would cost is to call one of our clinics and our staff will assist you.

Please visit our make an appointment page.

TB services are available to all residents of suburban Cook County by appointment only:

To make an appointment or to report a case of Tuberculosis, call (708) 836-8600 or visit our clinical services page for more information.

No, WIC does not provide emergency formula. WIC can provide information on emergency food pantries. Please visit our clinical services page for more information on WIC services and to contact clinic staff.

Yes, CCDPH provides clinical breast exams, mammography, pap, and pelvic exams through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Program. Please contact the Breast and Cervical Cancer Program staff at (708) 786-4000.

CCDPH works with local schools and daycares in suburban Cook County to provide mandated vision and hearing screening screenings. Priority is given to schools/daycares that serve children at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Visit our vision and hearing services page for more information.

High risk newborns are referred to the local health department for public health nursing follow-up through the hospital as part of the Illinois Department of Public Health High Risk Infant Follow-up. The public health nurse will make a home visit to provide anticipatory guidance, education on newborn care, referrals, and developmental assessments.

Visit our jobs page for more information.