With pregnant women facing a high risk of death from swine flu, health officials in Illinois are planning an aggressive campaign to educate doctors and encourage expectant mothers to get vaccinated against the virus, which threatens to spread rapidly this fall.

"In general, when people are pregnant, they are reluctant to take medication they fear might cause harm to the child," said Dr. Julie Morita, medical director for the immunization program at the Chicago Department of Public Health. "But if their physician says 'I think you need a flu vaccine,' they are more likely to heed it."

Marissa Elliott, 32, of Evanston who is six months' pregnant, said she has some concerns because the virus is new and it is unclear how the strain could mutate over the course of the flu season. She said, however, she and her family will follow her doctor's advice regarding vaccinations.

"My doctor says there are no serious side effects, and I trust my doctor so I will do what she thinks is best," said Elliott. "But if she gives me the facts and leaves it up to me and says, 'You decide,' that would be a more difficult decision."

Elliott, her husband and their two young daughters are the kind of family health officials want to see first in line for the swine flu vaccine, expected to be available in October.

The family registers in three of the five target groups the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined to be the most vulnerable -- pregnant women, children and young adults between the ages of 6 months and 24 years, and people who live with a child younger than 6 months old. Other target groups include health-care and emergency workers and people 25 through 64 who have chronic illnesses. Those groups also will be targeted by the vaccination campaign.

Illinois officials said they plan to be particularly diligent given that several schools in the state were forced to shut down due to swine flu last year. Health workers hope to eliminate the need for mass shutdowns this year by making the vaccines available in schools and other public areas.

Morita said the Chicago Health Department will begin holding teleconferences in two weeks with obstetricians and family practice physicians to disseminate information. They also plan to place information in clinics and other public sites.

The Illinois Department of Public Health plans to create a network to distribute information to community groups, faith-based organizations and other groups, according to spokeswoman Kelly Jakubek. She said officials also plan a media ad campaign, including public service announcements, and they are considering using social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

Pregnant women could pose a particular challenge, health officials said. In addition to expectant mothers' fears about taking drugs, some doctors are reluctant to recommend them because of fears they could harm fetuses. Yet, the mothers are among the most at risk.

According to a CDC study released last week, pregnant women infected with the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, had a higher rate of hospitalization and a greater risk of death than the general population. Six deaths among pregnant women were reported to the CDC between April 15 and June 16, representing 13 percent of the 45 deaths reported during that period.

A pregnant woman was among the 17 deaths in Illinois, which has 3,425 confirmed cases, officials said.

Caitlin Huber, 21, of Chicago, died May 30 at the University of Illinois Medical Center, a day after giving birth to a daughter, health officials said. Huber had gone to the hospital the week before after suffering from flulike symptoms. Her condition quickly worsened, officials said, and the baby was delivered by Caesarean section on May 29.

In all of the cases involving pregnant women, CDC officials said, the women were in good health prior to infection and subsequently developed viral pneumonia. None received antiviral medications soon enough to benefit, according to the researchers.

Dr. Charles Lampley, chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago, said education is the key to keeping people healthy. "When we talk to a mother, we talk about the risks of not receiving the treatment versus the risk of receiving the treatment," said Lampley, who is also director of women's health-care services at Access Community Health Network, which operates several clinics in the Chicago area. "Normally, when women weigh the options, they are more comfortable going forward and getting vaccinated."