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IN THIS ISSUE:
The Director's Diagnosis | IDPH Issues Immunization Guidance |
The Fight Against Medical Misinformation | Grantee Spotlight |
IDPH In The News
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Dear Partners in Health,
As all of you know too well, these are challenging times in public health. From cuts in federal funding to rapid and significant changes coming from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Illinois Department of Public Health is having to fill gaps and lead differently as we work to improve the health of our residents.
During this time of great uncertainty and challenge, IDPH remains committed to ensuring that individuals in Illinois can count on our Department to lead with intention. Illinoisians need a credible, transparent, and scientific voice to make decisions to improve the health of themselves, their family, and their communities. We know that you, our partners in this important work, need a trusted collaborator – an agency providing credible information, administering impactful programs, and building policy solutions. You can all count on IDPH, now more than ever, to fill these important roles.
In this edition of Health Matters, you will read how we are leading with intention. This issue starts with an in-depth review of our fall respiratory season immunization guidance, both for COVID-19 and other fall respiratory illnesses. As the federal government deviated from gold-standard scientific processes in making its fall vaccine recommendations, we felt it was crucial for Illinoisans to receive a comprehensive set of guidelines that were credible, transparent, and science-based. IDPH was fortunate to approve the recommendations of its expert Immunization Advisory Committee.
I also recently had the honor of joining Gov. Pritzker and several distinguished colleagues for a discussion to combat the inaccurate claims coming from the federal government, that autism is caused by vaccines or by the use of acetaminophen. IDPH will ensure that the public receives accurate information from us, and at the same time, we encourage everyone to speak to their medical provider about what decisions are best for you and your families.
Being a credible partner in this mission for better health for all also means investing in our communities. I am proud of the work we do at IDPH to support our partners around the state. In this edition, you will read more about one of our grantees and the tremendous things they are accomplishing. I look forward to sharing more such stories in future editions, as a testament to the power of the work we do together.
Here at IDPH, we want everyone to have the best opportunity for good health and the quality of life that comes with it. Even in a challenging climate, we are more committed than ever to that mission, and grateful for the partners who help us carry it out – from Gov. Pritzker and our sister state agencies, to local health departments around the state, to hospitals, providers, and professional associations who share our commitment for a healthier Illinois.
I am grateful to each of you for your interest in, and support of, the cause of public health in Illinois. Our state is better, healthier, and stronger because of it.
Yours in good health,
| | IDPH Issues Vaccine Guidance, Takes Steps to Ensure Access to Immunizations | | |
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has released new fall respiratory virus vaccine guidance and issued a statewide standing order to enhance access to COVID-19 vaccines. These measures are being taken in accordance with an executive order issued by Governor Pritzker on September 12, 2025, directing IDPH to lead a Statewide Vaccine Access Initiative to increase access to vaccines across Illinois.
The fall vaccine guidance was adopted by IDPH after robust discussion and votes made by the Illinois Immunization Advisory Committee (IL-IAC) on September 22, 2025. The IL-IAC is composed of a group of 20 highly qualified experts spanning epidemiology, infectious diseases, pediatrics, family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, nursing, pharmacy, and public health.
These actions are necessary because the federal government is no longer following its rigorous scientific review processes for vaccine-related decisions. The CDC’s gold-standard practices, followed for decades, have prevented serious illness and saved millions of lives nationwide.
"At a time when the federal government is abdicating its responsibility to provide clear, science-informed guidance, Illinois is stepping up,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Illinois will continue to empower providers and families across our state with the information and access they need to guard against illness and disease.”
“All Illinoisans, including concerned parents and health care providers, deserve credible, transparent, science-based vaccine guidance,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “IDPH’s recommendations, made in consultation with our Immunization Advisory Committee, will ensure that residents can protect themselves and their family members this upcoming respiratory season. In addition, the accompanying standing order will allow residents access to COVID-19 vaccine in local pharmacies and other health care settings.”
After receiving recommendations from the IL-IAC, examining guidance from medical specialty societies, and reviewing Illinois and national respiratory illness data, IDPH issued the following vaccination guidance for the 2025-2026 respiratory illness season:
- Flu vaccination is recommended for all people ages 6 months and older.
- RSV immunization is recommended for:
- All pregnant people during weeks 32 through 36 of pregnancy.
- All infants under the age of 8 months without maternal RSV vaccine protection entering their first RSV season.
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Children ages 8 months through 19 months who are at increased risk for severe RSV disease.
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Adults ages 50 years through 74 years at increased risk of severe RSV disease.
- All adults ages 75 years and older.
- COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for:
- All children ages 6 months through 23 months.
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Children ages 2 years through 17 years who have at least one underlying risk factor, who have weakened immune systems, who have never been previously vaccinated for COVID-19, who live in congregate settings or live in households with those at risk for severe COVID-19.
- Children ages 2 years through 17 years without underlying risk factors whose parents/guardians want them to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
- All pregnant people and those who are planning pregnancy, those who are postpartum (after pregnancy), or during lactation.
- All adults 18 years and older.
Along with these recommendations, Director Vohra issued a standing order allowing residents who need to get a COVID-19 vaccine to have access in pharmacies and other clinical settings. The standing order will facilitate health care providers in pharmacies and other clinical settings to administer COVID-19 vaccines in accordance with IDPH’s recommendations.
Additionally, for routine, non-seasonal vaccines, IDPH recommends that healthcare providers continue to follow the CDC immunization schedules for children and adults issued as of August 7, 2025, which are based on years of science, research, data, and best practices. These measures are being taken in accordance with the executive order issued by Governor Pritzker in September.
Learn more about the department's immunization guidance here. Go to IDPH's Immunization page for additional resources and information. Below you will find an easy reference guide to the fall immunization recommendations; click here for a handy printable version, or click here to find the recommendations in Spanish.
| | Gov. Pritzker Joins IDPH to Combat Health Misinformation | | |
Above: Governor JB Pritzker joins with top Illinois medical professionals to discuss and push back against the rising tide of medical misinformation. Pictured L-R: Gov. Pritzker; IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra; Dr. Emily Landon, University of Chicago Medicine; and Dr. Lynn Yee, Chicago maternal-fetal medicine physician
On October 1, Governor Pritzker hosted an event at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine with public health experts focused on critical public health priorities amid unprecedented misinformation and falsehoods coming from President Trump and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“We live in a time when the truth is harder to come by, and when your life or health are on the line, we need clear facts to make good decisions for ourselves and our families. With misinformation being spread at the highest levels of government, it’s more important than ever to ask your doctor if you have any questions,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “In the wake of the federal government ignoring science, the State of Illinois has taken action by issuing a statewide standing order to ensure vaccine supply, providing clear recommendations for seasonal vaccines, and endorsing science-based schedules for immunizations to give Illinois families and health care providers the certainty they need.”
The Trump Administration has taken several measures that threaten to undermine public health across the nation, including the removal of the CDC director, the removal of members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), implementing changes to COVID-19 vaccine guidance not based on gold standard scientific processes, and spreading dangerous misinformation by saying that Tylenol causes autism and suggesting a link between vaccines and autism. These actions not only lack basis in scientific fact – they further stigmatize autistic people in our communities, harm pregnant people and their infants, and ultimately erode the public’s trust in public health guidance.
The conversation focused on three important messages:
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Vaccines are safe and effective. Vaccines save lives. According to the CDC, for children born between 1994 and 2023, routine childhood immunizations prevented 1.1 million deaths, 508 million illnesses, and 32 million hospitalizations. Over the last 50 years, vaccines have saved over 150 million lives worldwide.
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Autism is not caused by vaccines, and autistic people and their families deserve our support. Autism is a neurological difference — not a disease or an epidemic. People with disabilities, including individuals with autism, are too often stigmatized and underestimated, and public policy should never diminish the diverse strengths and potential of this community. Autistic Illinoisians are not a part of an epidemic — they are a vital part of the fabric of our communities. The scientific consensus is clear: vaccines and Tylenol do not cause autism. This harmful misinformation causes fear among pregnant women and parents of young children who receive life-saving vaccines. It also stigmatizes the autistic community.
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Ask your doctor. With social media, bad-faith actors peddling products, and the federal government pushing lies and causing confusion, the truth can be hard to discern. People should turn to trusted medical professionals to help cut through the noise. If you see a health care recommendation on social media and you have questions, ask your doctor. If you hear something from the federal government that’s confusing, ask your doctor.
With some of the top research and medical institutions in the world based in Illinois, Gov. Pritzker convened world-renowned experts, including: Dr. Emily Landon, Associate Professor of Medicine and Executive Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control at UChicago Medicine; Dr. Lynn Yee, Chicago maternal-fetal medicine physician and Vice Chair of the Health Policy and Advocacy Committee for the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine; and Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Dr. Sameer Vohra, a pediatrician and cross-disciplinary leader in state and national health policy formulation.
“Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, IDPH is dedicated to standing up for and improving the health of all our residents,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “The federal’s government’s inaccurate information regarding vaccines, autism, and acetaminophen is causing unnecessary confusion, stigma, and stress for Illinois residents. As a pediatrician, my goal was always to provide my patients with appropriate information, resources, and options to support their needs. IDPH has the same goal. We will continue to work with the state’s health care practitioners to provide credible, science-based information to help Illinois’ individuals and families grow and thrive. If you have any questions regarding your health, please consult and ask your health care provider.”
| | Grantee Spotlight: Clinton County Health Department | | |
One of IDPH’s important functions is to provide grant funding to local health departments and community-based health organizations around the state. Periodically in Health Matters, we will highlight the work of a grantee to show how those dollars are put to use. This month, the spotlight shines on the Clinton County Health Department (CCHD). [At left, IDPH Director Vohra met with CCHD Administrator Chris Leidel (2nd from right) and department staff during a visit in August.]
Like many local health departments around Illinois, Clinton County benefits from the state’s Comprehensive Health Protection Grant. For Fiscal Year 2026, CCHD received a total of just over $127,000, with funding in support of a variety of important health-related activities, including:
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Lead Poisoning Prevention and Response. CCHD tests more than 200 children each year for lead exposure. Because it is able to do the testing in-house, results are available more quickly, allowing more rapid intervention for children who are exposed to elevated levels of lead.
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Safe Drinking Water. CCHD inspectors check for safe and sanitary conditions in places you might not always think of, like ice machines and water refill stations which are commonly found in grocery stores in the county.
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Body Art/Tanning. CCHD personnel check establishments to make sure proper sanitation methods are followed, in order to prevent potentially serious infections.
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Vector/Tick Surveillance. The department tests mosquitoes collected from six sites around the county for West Nile virus, and also collects ticks from walking parks and recreational areas, particularly those near wooded areas, in order to test them for tickborne diseases. In addition, CCHD provides larvicide to townships around the county to help with prevention efforts.
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Opioid Overdose Prevention. The department provides testing strips to schools and first responders around the county, so that when they encounter suspected drugs, they can test for the presence of opioids, allowing for a faster life-saving response. The department also distributes naloxone, which can be used to counteract the effects of an opioid overdose.
Clinton County Health Department Administrator Chris Leidel says the grant funding is “essential, because it covers a lot of the core functions of what a health department is supposed to be.” He says the 37,000 residents are safer and healthier as a result, even if they don’t always see the impact firsthand. “A lot of the work we do is not seen,” Leidel says. “We want people to be able to drink their water and go out to eat and not have to worry about it. The work we do is preventive, so people may not always realize the work that’s being done to protect them.”
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