CGH Medical Center will host a series of upcoming flu shot clinics for adults and children.

Flu clinics will be held at multiple locations starting Wednesday, Oct. 1, at the Putnam County EMA Building from 9 a.m. to noon.

The drive-thru flu shot clinics will return Wednesday, Oct. 8, and Wednesday, Oct. 15, allowing community members to receive their vaccination without leaving their vehicles. OSF Saint Katharine will also host a flu shot booth at the Discover Dixon Scarecrow Fest on Oct. 18.

All Illinois adults should get a COVID-19 vaccine this fall to prepare for this year’s respiratory illness season, state public health officials announced this week

The TALK-LINE interview for Sept. 8 featured Lee County Health Department Infectious Disease Coordinator Elizabeth Accardi discussing the upcoming influenza season and the health department’s offering of flu shot clinics.

Scientists are using mRNA for more than infectious disease vaccines, with researchers around the world exploring its use for cancer immunotherapies

The U.S. Agriculture Department predicts record egg prices could soar more than 40% in 2025, as the Trump administration offered the first new details Wednesday about its plan to battle bird flu and ease costs

IDPH recently created rapid tests that will be able to individually identify both strains of the bird flu. The IDPH director said this week said the virus is “not an active risk” to humans in Illinois because no human-to-human spread has been recorded

Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox is seeing a high volume of patients due to respiratory cases.

The Illinois Department of Public Health last week reported an increase in the state’s respiratory illness level from moderate to high, fueled by an anticipated early winter surge in hospital admissions.

The first U.S. bird flu death has been reported — a person in Louisiana who had been hospitalized with severe respiratory symptoms. Health officials have said the person was older than 65 and had underlying medical problems.

Because of the risk of infection to other animals, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is advising that dogs and other pets should be kept away from the carcasses of birds that may have died from bird flu.

Individuals interested in getting a flu shot through Morris Hospital should call a clinic to schedule an appointment in September and October.

The DeKalb County Health Department will offer walk-in flu vaccines to residents starting Monday in preparation for flu season.

The largest producer of fresh eggs in the U.S. said Tuesday it had temporarily halted production at a Texas plant after bird flu was found in chickens, and officials said the virus had also been detected at a poultry facility in Michigan.

IDPH has also confirmed this week that there was a third pediatric death due to influenza, all with December onsets

Silver Cross Hospital and Ascension St. Joseph-- Joliet have instituted extra precautions as winter respiratory illness season sees COVID-19, flu, and RSV numbers increase across the state, though local numbers remain moderate.

DeKalb County COVID-19 hospitalizations are on the rise, warned area health officials this week amid a statewide uptick in Illinois hospitalizations related to respiratory illnesses, which also include RSV and the flu.

RSV is causing a heavy burden of pediatric hospitalizations and the percent of lab tests that are positive for RSV have been rising for 10 consecutive weeks, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health

In the U.S., about 35 percent of U.S. adults and 33 percent of children have been vaccinated against flu, current CDC data indicates. That's down compared to last year in both categories.

With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, the Will County Health Department’s Environmental Health Division wanted to remind residents about food safety at the holidays.

“Protecting yourself and your loved ones now will ensure protection throughout the fall/winter respiratory virus season," said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra

Back to school means back to the doctor for some, as three viral respiratory illnesses – influenza, RSV and COVID-19 – are again expected to dominate seasonal sickness trends this year, and area health officials say to expect an uptick in October.

The Illinois Department of Public Health is continuing to closely watch COVID-19 data and monitor other respiratory viruses, particularly flu and RSV, ahead of the fall and winter seasons.

With holiday gatherings around the corner and viral illnesses including flu and COVID-19 on the rise again, this Northwestern Medicine doctor offers tips to managing RSV symptoms, identifying what you have, and mitigating transmission risk.

Nearly half of all emergency room visits by school-aged children and young adults in Kane County hospitals are for flulike illnesses.

Flu season typically runs October April. But health care professionals in Will and Grundy counties are still diagnosing cases.

The McHenry County Department of Health reported an increase in seasonal influenza outbreaks and encouraged people to take action to prevent the spread of the virus.