Illinois Department of Public Health Endorses Immunization Schedule from American Academy of Pediatrics

Illinois Department of Public Health Endorses Immunization Schedule from American Academy of Pediatrics

Illinois to align with nation's leading pediatric experts on evidence-based immunization schedule for children and adolescents

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced today it will adopt the 2026 child and adolescent immunization schedule recently issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The announcement, which was informed by the Illinois Immunization Advisory Committee (IL-IAC)'s recommendations, reinforces other recent actions taken by the Pritzker administration to protect the health and well-being of children, families, and communities statewide.

Amid ongoing federal changes to vaccine guidance that are not backed by strong scientific evidence, the endorsement aims to provide clarity and consistency to Illinois residents and health care providers.

"As Governor, the health and safety of all Illinoisans is my top priority. While Donald Trump and RFK Jr. undermine science, spread dangerous vaccine misinformation, and put countless lives at risk, my administration is forging a different path - one that puts our people first," said Governor JB Pritzker. "With key insights from the IL-IAC, we're endorsing clear, evidence-based immunization schedules to help keep Illinois families safe as the federal government chooses conspiracy theories over American lives."

"Illinois remains committed to providing clear, science-based vaccine guidance to protect families and communities," said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. "Thanks to the thorough review by the IL-IAC, IDPH is confident the 2026 AAP immunization schedule reflects the best available evidence. Today's endorsement ensures our caregivers and healthcare providers have the consistency and clarity to keep our children healthy and safe."

The AAP's latest immunization schedule continues to universally recommend important childhood vaccines that are supported by robust scientific evidence and were previously recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Recent changes in the federal childhood immunization guidance weakened the recommendation for certain vaccines despite the absence of scientific data warranting a change.

"The IAC strongly endorsed the 2026 AAP Child and Adolescent vaccine schedule today based on diverse viewpoints of committee members and a process that considered the impact to Illinois overall," said Dr. Marielle Fricchione, Chair of the IL-IAC. "This included vaccine confidence, school safety, provider practice dynamics and patient relationships, vaccine equity and access as well as impact of increased vaccine-preventable diseases on the hospital system. Illinois believes that public health saves lives and IAC showed that today."

The newly endorsed AAP childhood schedule remains unchanged from what IDPH has previously recommended. The established science around vaccines has not changed, and although this is a new endorsement, all immunization recommendations are consistent with past guidance.

Under Governor Pritzker's leadership, IDPH will continue to center credible, science-based processes to take proactive steps that protect the health and safety of Illinoisans. Vaccine locations can be found through the IDPH Vaccine Locator Dashboard, local health departments, pharmacies, and health care providers.

Illinois' childhood immunization recommendations are State Guidelines for Communicable Disease Prevention, which are required to be covered by all state-regulated insurance policies, per 410 ILCS 315/1.2. All immunizations recommended by IDPH continue to be covered by other private insurance plans, Medicaid, and the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program.

IDPH, in consultation with the IL-IAC, will continue to review emerging evidence, national clinical guidance, and Illinois specific data to ensure Illinois' immunization recommendations remain grounded in science and focused on protecting the public's health.