Tweet
Northwest suburban boy dies of swine flu-related illness
By Robert McCoppin | Daily Herald Staff
Published: 10/27/2009 12:19 PM
A 5-year-old boy from Northwest suburban Cook County has died from H1N1 virus-related causes, officials said Tuesday.
Like many other victims of H1N1, also known as swine flu, the boy had a chronic underlying medical condition, Cook County Health Department spokesman Sean McDermott said.
"It's a tragic situation," McDermott said. "It underscores the need for the public to take this disease seriously and take precautions at home, to cover your cough, stay home if you're sick, and most importantly, when vaccine is available, if you fall into one of the priority groups, to get vaccinated."
Cook County has scheduled vaccinations starting Thursday for students at Palatine Elementary School District 15, and is supplying vaccines to some hospitals, but is awaiting the arrival of more vaccine before making it available to the general public.