A new study shows more parents are choosing not to have their children vaccinated or to delay vaccinations, citing safety issues. 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 ›

Today, the state of Illinois announced 12 additional deaths due to the H1N1 flu virus (aka swine flu). Meanwhile, counties are struggling to keep up with the demand for the vaccination, but there are some serious inconsistencies as to how much each county gets. more ›

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 ›

South Loop Wine Cellar is one of our favorite wine stores and we attend their tastings often. They often host creative events, presenting wine in innovative combinations with other foods - cupcakes, chocolates - or with other small businesses in the area. However, when we got the September event email, we did a bit of a double take. Instead of a tasty pairing of a California cab and a nice bite of flank steak, customers at the September 17th tasting can sample… a flu shot. At the “Vaccine and Vino” event, a payment of $40 will include both the wine tasting and the vaccine. more ›