By Ben Szalinski & Associated Press
Capitol News Illinois
bszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com
The Illinois Department of Public Health is not adopting new federal child vaccine guidelines and will continue following recommendations by a leading pediatric medical group.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday that calls for giving the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, better known as MMR, in three separate shots at three different appointments. It also lowers recommendations for several vaccines such as Hepatitis A and B, meningococcal disease, the flu and COVID-19 into recommend for “certain high-risk groups” or “based on shared clinical decision-making” rather than for all children.
It advises states to follow what Trump calls the “Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations” and update laws to reflect it. Even as the order calls for revised recommendations, states, not the federal government, have the authority to require vaccinations for schoolchildren.
Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement the executive order is a “thoughtless piece of paper” that “does not reverse decades of research and scientific evidence about protecting kids.”
American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations
Instead, Illinois will continue following guidelines outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which the state’s Immunization Advisory Committee previously unanimously adopted in February.
“The Illinois Department of Public Health is committed to ensuring Illinois residents have reliable access to vaccines and guidance supported by the most up-to-date science,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a statement. “IDPH will continue to be guided by science and work closely with clinical and community leaders to provide recommendations that allow Illinoisians to make the best choices to keep themselves and their families safe and healthy.”
Those guidelines recommend children receive the Hepatitis B series, at least one COVID-19 and flu shot, first dose of MMR and two doses of Hepatitis A by the time they turn 2. They recommend children receive a second MMR dose between ages 4 and 6 and receive annual flu and COVID shots after turning 2.
Szalinski reported from Springfield on Illinois’ actions. The Associated Press contributed reporting on the president’s actions and news conference to this story.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.