Feds trim childhood vaccine guidance. What shots is your IL child required to have?
Updated federal guidelines have reduced the number of vaccines generally recommended for children in the U.S., but Illinois officials are taking a different approach.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Jan. 5 the federal government would routinely recommend children receive just seven vaccines, down from 13 under previous guidelines.
The move to scale back routine childhood vaccination was one of many HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made to advocate against vaccines. Many health care professionals have criticized the anti-vaccine policies, and a group of medical organizations sued Kennedy in July over reducing federal COVID vaccine recommendations.
The six vaccines no longer recommended for all children include COVID, influenza, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B and meningococcal vaccines. The recommended dose for the childhood HPV vaccine also decreased, from two or three to one.
Some of these six vaccines are recommended for children at a higher risk of disease, and for the general population of children, HHS recommends deciding whether to vaccinate based on shared clinical decision-making between parents or guardians and doctors.
Although the federal guidelines have reduced the number of vaccines recommended for children, school vaccine requirements are made at the state level.
What vaccines will Illinois recommend for children?
Illinois’ state guidelines for childhood vaccination will not change to align with the updated federal recommendations, state officials said.
“Illinois is focused on ensuring that our residents receive credible, transparent, scientific guidance. This announcement has no bearing on Illinois’ childhood vaccine recommendations, which is based on up-to-date scientific evidence. As the federal government unilaterally makes changes without transparent review or evidence to support changes, Illinois will continue to promote the well-being of Illinoisans by issuing recommendations based on the full weight of scientific evidence,” lllinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a statement.
In Illinois, influenza, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B and meningococcal vaccines are still recommended for children, depending on their age. Some of these vaccines are required for entry to schools or day care facilities, depending on the child’s age.
State health officials also recommend children ages 6 months to 23 months receive the COVID vaccine, though it is not required in schools. Older children with risk factors and all adults should also receive the COVID vaccine, state officials said in a Sept. 23 press release.
Vaccination rates in Illinois schools have fallen below the minimum threshold needed for community protection against measles in Pulaski, Massac and Pope counties, according to IDPH data.
In addition to measles protection concerns in southern Illinois, the state is seeing a spike in respiratory illness-related hospitalizations, especially concerning influenza cases, pushing some metro-east hospitals to or near full capacity and leading some to institute restrictions on visitors.
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