October is prime time for flu vaccinations, and the U.S. and Europe are gearing up for what experts hope is high demand as countries seek to avoid a “twindemic” with COVID-19.

With less than a month before school is back in session across Illinois, parents and guardians are encouraged to get their children up to date on their immunizations soon or face a possible school suspension.

Chicago’s been in the grip of an especially bad flu season this year, sending people to the hospital and keeping children home from school. We look at why influenza has been so difficult to fight.

At 38 percent, the HPV vaccination rate of teens in Chicago is higher than the national average of 28 percent. But  the vaccination rate is still, too low.

Vaccinations for children have recently come up in the news with some celebrity moms opting out of vaccinating their kids and pointing to a potential relationship between additives in certain vaccines and autism. We talk with Dr. Adannia Enyioha of Rush University's Medical Center and Dr. Melanie Brown of Comer Children’s Hospital about vaccinations and the controversy surrounding the headlines. Read an article featuring voices from moms on both sides of the vaccination spectrum, and view a graphic of the CDC's recommended immunization schedule.

The Chicago Department of Public Health is ramping up its campaign to increase teenage HPV vaccination coverage. We talk vaccinations and disease prevention with the agency’s medical director, Dr. Julie Morita. Read an interview and view graphics on HPV.

We share what you had to say about the CTA's new Ventra fare card payment system and on new options available for flu vaccines in tonight’s viewer feedback.