(WBBM NEWSRADIO) - The chief medical officer for the Illinois Department of Public Health said it's very important this year that as many children as possible get the flu vaccine.
Dr. Arti Barnes said nearly all of the intensive care beds for children at Illinois hospitals are being used. She said most of those children have the respiratory illness RSV, but flu cases are on the rise in Illinois.
She worries that there won't be enough ICU beds for children who develop severe cases of the flu, especially with less than a quarter of the children in Illinois getting flu shots so far this year.
“When you look at the actual numbers, it’s only 22% of our children are vaccinated, which is not great. But then, you notice that it’s worse than in October of 2020,” Barnes said.
Dr. Barnes is also urging parents to make sure their children are up-to-date on COVID vaccinations, including the latest booster.
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