The Illinois Department of Public Health recommends COVID-19 shots for all adults this fall. The standing order ensures access through local pharmacies and health care providers.
by Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinois
SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Public Health has recommended all adults get a COVID-19 shot this fall despite federal guidelines that narrowed the group of people recommended for the shot. IDPH released a standing order on Tuesdays that recommends the COVID-19 vaccine for all children between six and 23 months; children ages 2 through 17 that have an underlying risk or live in a home with another person who is at high risk for severe complications from COVID-19; any child whose parents want them to get a vaccine; people who are pregnant, planning to be pregnant or postpartum; and all adults.
Photo: Capitol News Illinois/Andrew Adams
The recommendation bucks new and murky guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that recommend vaccines only for people ages 65 and older. A recent CDC advisory panel vote allowed people younger than 65 to receive the vaccine after being informed of the risks and benefits of the shot, backing away from requiring people to get a prescription in order to receive the vaccine. Illinois’ latest recommendations follow the state’s Immunization Advisory Committee Monday vote on the issue. “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,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a statement. “In addition, the accompanying standing order will allow residents access to COVID-19 vaccine in local pharmacies and other health care settings.” Gov. JB Pritzker also issued an executive order earlier this month requiring IDPH to issue its own guidelines for vaccines this fall amid uncertainty over what the federal government would recommend. “At a time when the federal government is abdicating its responsibility to provide clear, science-informed guidance, Illinois is stepping up,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Illinois will continue to empower providers and families across our state with the information and access they need to guard against illness and disease.”
Photo: Capitol News Illinois/Jerry Nowicki
IDPH’s standing order allows health care providers and pharmacies in Illinois to give COVID-19 shots within the department’s guidelines. It also requires federal insurance plans, insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act and state-regulated insurance plans to cover the vaccines. Insurance companies that are members of America’s Health Insurance Plans, which are most major insurance companies, plan to continue covering the shots, according to the Associated Press.
Other vaccines
The Trump administration has also been unclear about how it will approach future recommendations on other vaccines. A CDC advisory panel last week recommended against administering the combination of measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox vaccines, MMRV, to children under 4 years old. IDPH is recommending children and adults follow the CDC’s prior guidelines that recommend the MMRV. IDPH is also recommending everyone receive flu shots this fall. RSV vaccines are also recommended for adults aged 74 years old and older, adults at high risk for severe illness who are over 50, people who are between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy and children between eight and 19 months who are at a high risk of severe illness.
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.
