JEWEL-OSCO, a leading Midwest food and drug retailer, is alerting its Barrington customers that they can get the vaccine for pertussis, also known as whooping cough, at their neighborhood JEWEL-OSCO Pharmacy.

The pertussis vaccine, which costs $54.99, is available on a walk-in basis to patients 14 years old and up.  Coverage depends on consumers’ insurance.

JEWEL-OSCO is reminding customers that its pharmacies offer the pertussis vaccine following a recent warning from the Illinois Department of Public Health about a significant increase in cases of whooping cough.  According to the health department, as of mid-December, more than 1,100 cases have been reported statewide, with the majority reported in McHenry, DuPage, Cook and Lake counties. 

For more information about pertussis and the vaccine, customers can contact their local JEWEL-OSCO Pharmacy, or visit http://www.jeweloscopharmacies.com/ishp/ishp_instoreHealth.action