COVID-19 FAQs

If you are a CPS student or staff member, please self report your positive case to cps.edu/COVIDresults. Please stay home and isolate yourself from others for at least five days after the positive test.  If fever-free after day five, students and staff can return to school wearing a mask for days 6-10 after their positive test. If fever remains after day five, please continue to isolate until symptoms resolve, then return to school wearing a mask until day 10 after the positive test.

Students and staff who may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 will be able to stay in school and are highly encouraged to wear a mask for 10 days following exposure. CPS will provide any CPS staff or student who has been identified as a close contact with two rapid at-home COVID-19 tests; CPS strongly recommends testing on the immediate Monday and Thursday following exposure. If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, please refer to the previous question.

If you or your student have tested positive, testing again for the illness is unnecessary. A negative test is not required to return to school after isolation.

PCR testing is generally not recommended for 90 days after testing positive unless symptoms develop. This is because COVID-19 antibodies can remain in the body for up to 90 days after contracting COVID and may produce a false positive test.

In high schools, a close contact is anyone who has been within six feet of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 for 15 minutes or longer within a 24-hour period. 

In elementary schools, due to behavioral patterns of younger students, anyone who was in a classroom with an individual who tests positive for COVID-19 is considered a close contact. 

Those identified as close contacts can stay in school as long as they mask for ten days after exposure and remain asymptomatic. It is recommended that students who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 should test the Monday and Thursday or Thursday and Monday immediately after exposure.

Please isolate yourself from this member of your household to the extent this is possible, and get tested for COVID-19. Contact your primary care provider for a test or use an at-home rapid test. It is highly encouraged you mask around others for 10 days from your last date of exposure. Test five days after your latest exposure or test immediately if you develop symptoms.

They should submit the info (copy of the card) to the student's school. A school nurse will enter the dates into our student information system.

CPS also works with CDPH to collect vaccination data for individual students on a regular basis.  This data is entered into our student information system on a recurring basis.

All Chicagoans aged six months and up can get the updated COVID-19 vaccine to be up to date.

• Everyone aged five years and older should get one dose of the updated mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) COVID-19 vaccine at least two months after getting any previous dose of any COVID-19 vaccine. Those aged 12 years and older may consider receiving the non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose (Novavax) two months after getting any previous dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
• Children aged six months to 4 years who have never been vaccinated against COVID-19 should get two doses of the updated Moderna vaccine OR three doses of the updated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Healthcare providers will inform families of the vaccine schedule.
• Children aged six months to 4 years who have gotten COVID-19 vaccines before September 12, 2023, should get one dose of the updated Moderna vaccine OR 1-2 doses of the updated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Healthcare providers will inform families of the vaccine schedule
• If you recently had COVID-19, you still should stay up to date with your vaccines, but you may consider delaying your vaccine by three to six months. Reinfection is less likely in the weeks to months after infection. Talk to your healthcare provider for more information.
• Some people may need additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines. For more guidance on how to stay up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccinations, visit the Chicago Department of Public Health's website.

Everyone 6 months and older in the United States should get an influenza (Flu) vaccine every season with rare exceptions. The CDC recommends that people 65 years and older receive one of three higher dose or adjuvanted flu vaccines if available. Pregnant women should receive the flu vaccine to protect themselves during pregnancy and protect their infant in their first few months of life. People with egg allergy may get any Flu vaccine (egg-based or non-egg-based) that is otherwise appropriate for their age and health status. Visit this page to find a flu vaccine.

COVID-19 can make children very sick and cause children to be hospitalized. It can cause both short and long-term health complications and, in some cases, even death.

Children infected with COVID-19 can also spread it to others, including more vulnerable people like older people and those with underlying health conditions.

Like all other vaccines, your child may have some side effects, which are normal signs that their body is building protection and added immunity against COVID-19. On the arm where your child got the shot, your child may experience temporary pain, redness, and swelling. Throughout the rest of their body, they may experience temporary tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, and/or nausea. These side effects may affect your child’s ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. The COVID-19 vaccine does not affect fertility. Severe allergic reactions are rare. If your child experiences a severe allergic reaction after getting a COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine providers can rapidly provide care and call emergency medical services if needed.

No, you cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine.

Yes, COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. Millions of people in the United States and billions around the world have received multiple COVID-19 vaccines. While COVID-19 vaccines were developed quickly to meet the worldwide demand for protection from the virus, all steps have been taken to ensure their safety and effectiveness. COVID-19 vaccines have undergone and continue to undergo the most intensive safety monitoring in world history, which includes studies about adolescents and children. For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s resources on COVID-19 vaccination for children and teens.

COVID-19 vaccines are widely available. For full details visit cps.edu/vaccination. You can talk to your child’s pediatrician or medical provider or make an appointment by visiting vaccines.gov, texting your zip code to 438829, or calling 1-800-232-0233. You may also make an appointment at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).

CPS currently provides free vaccines to children who are uninsured, underinsured, or receive health care through Medicaid. Currently, the vaccine will remain widely available and free for most Chicagoans, however, insurance and medical providers may vary.  With the expiration of the federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 on May 11, 2023, medical providers outside CPS may begin charging Chicagoans to receive a vaccine, so it is important to consult your provider and/or your insurance company to determine if you will be charged any fees for receiving the vaccine.

• Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) offer no-cost vaccines. Find an FQHC at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov or call the city of Chicago's Hotline at 312-746-4835. Call the health center before visiting to ensure they have the updated vaccine.
• CDPH Immunization Clinics welcome walk-ins, but registration is highly encouraged. Create an account and register for an appointment at  getvaxchi.chicago.gov or by calling the clinic.
• People and families with private health insurance or Medicaid or Medicare coverage should go to a pharmacy or doctor’s office to get their updated COVID-19 vaccine, which your insurance company should cover. Visit vaccines.gov or vacunas.gov to find a vaccine provider near you.

No, free COVID-19 rapid tests are available at all CPS locations for students, families, and staff for use at home.

No, COVID-19 tests are optional, although strongly encouraged, especially for those who are unvaccinated.

Please stay home and isolate from others for at least five days after the positive test. If fever-free after day five, students and staff can return to school wearing a mask for days 6-10 after their positive test. If fever remains after day five, please continue to isolate until symptoms resolve, then return to school wearing a mask until day 10 after the positive test.

You will be notified if you or your child is deemed as a potential “close contact” of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Those who are deemed to be close contacts will be able to stay in school but will be encouraged to wear a mask for 10 days following exposure. CPS will provide any CPS staff or student who has been identified as a close contact with two rapid at-home COVID-19 tests; CPS strongly recommends testing on the immediate Monday and Thursday following exposure. If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, please report it to cps.edu/covidresults.

The COVID-19 tests are free to students and staff. You will never receive a bill, and your insurance will not be charged.

If you or your student have tested positive, testing again for the illness is unnecessary. A negative test is not required to return to school after isolation.

If you have exposure or develop new symptoms within 90 days of testing positive, you should use rapid tests to see if you have contracted COVID. However, PCR testing is generally not recommended for 90 days after testing positive unless symptoms develop. This is because COVID-19 antibodies can remain in the body for up to 90 days after contracting COVID and may produce a false positive test.

Regular testing is a safe, effective way to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and help keep our schools open for in-person learning. Many people with COVID-19, especially children and teens, don’t have symptoms but can still spread the virus, so testing after exposure or when symptomatic is an important strategy to reduce spread.

Yes. CPS has a vaccine mandate in place for all employees and vendors, unless the employee or vendor has a religious or medical exemption. Staff and vendors can use this resource from the Chicago Department of Public Health to ensure they are up-to-date on vaccinations.

The District has discontinued the in-school COVID-19 testing program. CPS has completed its transition to a rapid at-home test program where rapid tests are available for free to any student or staff member at any CPS District-managed school. You may request a rapid test through your school.

CPS staff can visit cps.edu/staffvax to submit proof of vaccination. 

CPS staff can visit cps.edu/booster to submit proof of booster shot.

CPS staff can apply for a religious or medical exemption from the vaccination mandate by using this link.

Yes. All vendor employees must comply with this mandate.

Vendor employees must provide proof to their employer. CPS cannot accept vaccination documentation.

CPS is not accepting any documentation. Vendors must attest that they will comply with CPS vendor vaccination requirements in the CPS Supplier Portal.