Only 1 in 5 Illinois residents has received the flu vaccine, and only 5% have received the updated COVID-19 shot, according to the latest data from the Illinois Department of Public Heath.

Respiratory virus cases still are relatively low across the state, but they are slowly trending upward, according to the IDPH data.

The number of residents who have received the flu shot through the end of November was at 21.9%, down 4% from this time a year ago and reflecting a consistent downward trend in people getting vaccinated over the past five years.

The highest rate of people being immunized against the flu by the end of November was 30.2% in 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The majority of those who have received the flu vaccine – 47.5% – are people 65 and older. The next gr

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