The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Wednesday that the state will not adopt newly issued federal guidance on childhood vaccines and will instead continue following recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that the state’s Immunization Advisory Committee approved earlier this year.
State rejects federal guidance, cites science
The move comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that recommended changing how several childhood vaccines are administered, including splitting the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three separate visits and narrowing recommendations for vaccines such as Hepatitis A and B, meningococcal, the influenza and COVID-19 to apply only to "certain high-risk groups" or to be considered under "shared clinical decision-making." The order urged states to adopt what it called the "Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations."
Illinois officials were quick to push back. Gov. J.B. Pritzker called the order a "thoughtless piece of paper" and said it does not overturn the decades of evidence supporting current immunization practice.
"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.
Dr. Vohra said in the same statement that IDPH will continue to be guided by science and partner with clinical and community leaders to offer recommendations that help residents make informed choices to keep families safe and healthy.
What Illinois will follow
Rather than align with the presidential guidance, Illinois will remain with the AAP recommendations the state adopted unanimously in February through its Immunization Advisory Committee. Those guidelines call for children to receive a sequence of vaccines in the first years of life, including the Hepatitis B series and the first doses of MMR, Hepatitis A and annual influenza and COVID-19 immunizations beginning after age 2.
| Vaccine | Key timing per AAP guidance |
|---|---|
| Hepatitis B | Series completed by age 2 |
| MMR | First dose by age 2; second dose between ages 4 and 6 |
| Hepatitis A | Two doses by age 2 |
| Flu and COVID-19 | At least one dose by age 2; annual doses thereafter |
State health officials said they are particularly concerned by the executive order’s recommendation to split the MMR vaccine into three separate shots, which they said could reduce timely protection against measles, a disease that public health experts warn can spread quickly in under-immunized communities.
Legal and practical limits on federal power
Public-health authority to require vaccinations for schoolchildren rests with states, not the federal government. That legal reality underscored Illinois’ decision to retain its existing schedule. The governor’s office and IDPH framed their response as a defense of established, evidence-based practice rather than a dispute about presidential authority to issue guidance to federal agencies.
Illinois health leaders also emphasized continued efforts to ensure access to vaccines across the state, including outreach to communities with lower immunization rates and coordination with clinical providers to maintain supply and distribution.
What parents should know
For now, parents and guardians in Illinois should expect pediatricians and public-health clinics to continue following AAP guidance that the state adopted in February. That includes routine scheduling for well-child visits and the standard timing for vaccines recommended for infants and young children.
- Illinois will continue to use AAP guidelines for childhood immunizations.
- School vaccine requirements remain governed by state law and the state's existing immunization schedule.
- Parents with questions about timing or safety should consult their child's pediatrician or local health department.
State officials did not announce any changes to school-entry vaccine requirements or immediately planned regulatory action in response to the executive order. They reiterated that public-health policy will continue to rely on the best available scientific evidence and clinical guidance.
As federal and state officials continue to spar publicly over guidance, the practical impact for Illinois families remains that the state will follow the AAP-backed schedule that experts say protects children against preventable infectious diseases.
— Danielle Osei, State Correspondent
