Gov. Pritzker Hosts ‘Ask Your Doctor’ Public Health Event
Vaccines are safe and effective; autism is not caused by vaccines or Tylenol, and autistic people and their families deserve our support; and, if you need more information, ‘Ask Your Doctor’
October 1, 2025
CHICAGO – Today, 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 to undermine public health across the nation, including the removal of a highly-qualified CDC director, the firing of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), implementing changes to COVID-19 vaccine guidance not based in science, and spreading dangerous misinformation by saying that Tylenol causes autism. These actions not only lack basis in scientific fact – they further stigmatize autistic people in our communities, harm new and expecting mothers, and ultimately erode the public’s trust in public health guidance.
The conversation focused on the three important messages:
- 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.
- 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.
- Ask your doctor.
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, Gov. Pritzker convened world-renowned experts based in Illinois, 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.”
“As health care workers, we see what some can never fathom: babies in the hospital with RSV, adults with chronic liver disease from hepatitis B acquired as an infant, patients struggling to breathe in the ICU with influenza or COVID, women with cervical cancer. But vaccines can prevent these tragedies,” said Dr. Emily Landon. “Just like you buy home insurance, have smoke detectors, and wear seatbelts, vaccines help protect you and your family from high risk but low likelihood health problems. Skipping them because you don’t think it can happen to you is a mistake.”
“As a maternal-fetal medicine subspecialist, I speak with patients every day about how our recommendations are based in rigorous research, clinical expertise, and the patient's values,” said Dr. Lynn Yee. “The current scientific evidence does not support a causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. It is important that pregnant people receive evidence-based counseling and medical care, which may include using acetaminophen for the safe treatment of pain and fevers. As always, speak with your doctor to discuss the best treatment plan for you and your body.”
To protect access to lifesaving vaccines, support Illinois’ autistic community, and provide continuity and clear guidance for vaccines amid federal disfunction, Illinois has taken the following measures:
Executive Order to Protect Life-Saving Immunization Access for Illinoisans:
- Gov. Pritzker issued an Executive Order to ensure that Illinoisans will be able to receive the immunizations they need, for the respiratory season and beyond. The EO also establishes the Statewide Vaccine Access Initiative, led by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to ensure Illinoisans can get the vaccines they need and can rely on science-based guidance.
Illinois Fall Vaccine Guidance and COVID-19 Standing Order to Ensure Access for Illinoisans:
- IDPH released new fall respiratory virus vaccine guidance and issued a statewide standing order to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines. 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.
Affirming Existing Vaccine Schedules:
- For other routine, non-seasonal vaccinations, IDPH recommended that providers follow the August 7, 2025, CDC Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule and the Adult Immunization Schedules. As the federal vaccine panel review process continues to cause confusion and uncertainty, this measure ensures continuity and clarity for vaccine administration, especially for the childhood vaccine schedule. Through this measure, Illinois is also affirming recommendations that are based on years of science, research, data, and best practices.
Supporting Illinois' Autistic Community:
- On May 7, 2025, Gov. Pritzker issued an Executive Order in response to rising national concerns about efforts to create federal autism registries or databases without clear legal safeguards or accountability. The order protects individuals from unauthorized data collection and sharing by state agencies and ensures that autism-related information is handled only when necessary and with informed consent. The order further authorizes the creation of a time-limited, ad hoc Autism Data Privacy Advisory Group under the oversight of the Deputy Governor for Health and Human Services.
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