As winter settles in and we gird ourselves for the next few months, there's some good news relating to H1N1 vaccines. The Illinois Department of Public Health announced today that beginning next week, the state of Illinois will have enough of the vaccine to offer the shots to anyone regardless of age or medical condition. Dr. Julie Morita, the director of the IDPH's Immunization Program Medical department said, "Up to now, we have asked Chicagoans not at increased risk for the flu and its complications to voluntarily 'step aside' and allow those at increased risk to get vaccinated first. But now, with the H1N1 vaccine supply more abundant and more consistent---both in Chicago and elsewhere across the nation---we encourage everyone to consider getting vaccinated." Many retail pharmacies will also have the vaccination soon, which costs between $12 and $22 though if you have insurance, it will often cover the fee. Check out the IDPH website for more information. more ›

Whether we're ready for it or not, it's the holiday season and with Thanksgiving a week away, that means it's almost time for the deluge of mall Santas. But there's a twist this year: the spread of the dreaded H1N1 virus. And with mall Santas handling dozens (if not, in some cases, hundreds) of children every day for almost a month, there's some reason for concern. At a recent conference, the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas covered basics of swine flu prevention including hand sanitizers. And one group in Alabama, as the Associated Press explains, is asking for priority in terms of receiving the vaccine. more ›

• Former DuPage prosecutor, state attorney general, and current gubernatorial candidate Jim Ryan apologized today for the prosecutions of Rolando Cruz and Alex Hernandez, the men originally convicted and sentenced to death for the 1983 murder of Jeanine Nicarico. He claimed the prosecution “acted in good faith...and still came up with the wrong result."
• Swine Flu's toll so far, according to the CDC: 22 million sick, 4,000 dead.
• Police in Cleveland have arrested a woman from Chicago who's been using her children to help her shoplift.

• A hearing on whether or not to allow hearsay statements in to the murder trial of Drew Peterson has been set for January 19.
• Speaking of Peterson, a tree and plaque honoring missing fourth wife Stacy was stolen.
• Separating fact from fiction on H1N1.

If you missed out on a chance to acquire an H1N1 flu vaccine this weekend, there will be more available at six clinics around the city today. All clinics open at 3 p.m. and it's part of a continuing series of clinics being held every Saturday, Tuesday, and Thursday. You can read times and locations here [PDF]. But remember, the Department of Health is asking that - for now - you get the vaccine only if you fall into one of the high-priority groups which are: "Pregnant women, household contacts and caregivers of children younger than 6 months of age, health care and emergency medical service personnel, children and young adults ages 6 months through 24 years, and persons aged 25‐ 64 years who have medical conditions which put them at high risk for complications from influenza." more ›

As the death toll from the H1N1 flu virus (aka swine flu) has crossed 1,000 in the United States, President Obama has declared the outbreak a national emergency which, according to CBS 2, "empowered his health secretary to suspend federal requirements and speed treatment for thousands of infected people." Obama signed the declaration late yesterday, saying in a statement, "As a nation, we have prepared at all levels of government, and as individuals and communities, taking unprecedented steps to counter the emerging pandemic." Originally planning to have 120 million doses shipped to health centers around the nation, only 11 million have been shipped; the government hopes to have 50 million shipped by mid-November and 150 million shipped by mid-December. Locally, long lines were forming around at different locations for a limited number of doses, all but ensuring many would be turned away without receiving the vaccination. Several area schools have also been completely shut down by widespread illness amongst students. more ›

• More trouble at Fenger High where five students were arrested today following a lunch-time brawl.
• Carolyn Towns is the last of the four Burr Oak suspects to be released on bail, leaving jail this afternoon.
• An Aurora man has been charged with filing a false police report, including creating three false suspects, after an incident this weekend.

Just yesterday we were looking at swine flu stats for local colleges and, as if on cue, a Schaumburg school is reporting a pair of new cases. The cases come from St. Peter Lutheran School; principal Roger Kirsh has promised precautions have been taken and the school opened as scheduled today. [Tribune] more ›

It's cold outside so that's got folks thinking about cold-weather illnesses already, chief among them H1N1 aka swine flu. Extra precautions are being taken to help prevent the spreading of the virus. Among them, some Indiana health care facilities are pulling magazines and toys from waiting rooms as a means of prevention. So be sure to bring your own book next time you hit your doctor's office. more ›

14-year-old Michelle Fahle who attended Naperville North High School and died yesterday had H1N1, otherwise known as swine flu, according to the DuPage County Health Department. However, she apparently also had an undisclosed "underlying condition" that could have also contributed to her death. No precautionary measures have been taken at the high school yet, as it was closed today for parent-teacher conferences and will be closed Monday for Columbus Day. If Fahle's death is attributed to swine flu it will be the first H1N1 death in DuPage county and the 20th in Illinois. [CBN] more ›

• The man charged with stalking and making those peephole videos of ESPN's Erin Andrews has been released on bail but ordered to home confinement.
• Chicago in 2040: still no jet-packs but more CTA.
• Those who fear the next Hamthrax outbreak can mark your calendars: the first shipment of the H1N1 vaccine are due to hit Chicago on October 15, but those first doses will be limited to certain demographics.

Nearly two million doses of the swine flu vaccine will make it to Illinois soon. The Illinois Department of Public Health announced today that 1.5 million doses will be delivered to areas outside of Chicago while 500,000 doses will be delivered to Chicago, all within the next four weeks. But don't start lining up for your shot just yet; only those in certain segments of the population will get first crack at them. Per the Tribune: more ›

However, unlike the hair trigger closings that happened in May, the CDC this fall is recommending closure only in the event of a "major outbreak." They've also revised the guidelines as to how long a sick child should stay home, reducing the previously advised seven days to the usual time length for kids with a fever -- the student can return to school 24 hours after the fever breaks. more ›

In an updated tally of the Pandemic That Wouldn't Go Away, the CDC says that Illinois is second in terms of American states with the number of reported cases at 2,526, second only to Wisconsin which has reported 3,008 cases. Overall, there have been 21,449 cases reported nationwide with 87 deaths, but the CDC notes that much of the recent action has shifted to the Northeast. [via WBBM] more ›

Another person who contracted the H1N1 flu virus has passed away. And just like the first, health officials aren't releasing any information other than to acknowledge there was a pre-existing health condition that likely contributed to the death. The first Illinois death - also in the Chicago area - was reported Monday. [Chicago Breaking News] more ›

Health officials to say that there are nine probable cases of Swine Flu in the Chicago area. Samples of the infection have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control for testing. As the number of confirmed cases has increased, the World Health Organization announced late yesterday that they have raised their pandemic alert level to 5, the second-highest level. "This change to a higher phase of alert is a signal to governments, to ministries of health and other ministries, to the pharm industry and the business community that certain actions now should be taken with increased urgency and at an accelerated pace," Dr. Margaret Chan, the U.N. agency's director-general said. more ›