Gov. Pritzker Joins IDPH, ISBE to Urge a Healthy Start to the New School Year

WHEELING – Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined the directors of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), local school officials, and medical professionals in a back-to-school press conference calling for a safe and healthy start to the academic year. August is National Immunization Awareness Month, serving as a reminder of the importance of immunization for people of all ages, especially children returning to the classroom. The Governor encouraged parents and guardians to speak with a trusted healthcare provider and ensure that their children are up to date on their immunizations and check-ups as classes start up again.

“August is National Immunization Awareness Month—a time to remind ourselves of the importance of staying up to date on childhood vaccinations,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “As our classrooms come back to life and our kids get back to learning and playing with one another, it’s essential that everyone take this safe and effective step to protect their health.”

Speaking from the health center for Community Consolidated School District 21 in Wheeling, the Governor reiterated that immunizations are a safe and effective tool to protect children, families, and the public at large from preventable illnesses. This school health center serves the students of the 12 elementary and middle schools in the district, one of 60 such centers across the state providing needed health services to students and families in Illinois.

“Back-to-school physicals and timely immunizations are an essential part of giving children the tools they need to thrive and succeed in school,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “As a pediatrician and a parent, I know firsthand how important these checkups and shots are for kids to start the school year off right. These physicals allow families the opportunity to discuss health challenges and find the right resources for their kids to grow and develop appropriately. Getting up to date with your immunizations allows children to avoid serious illness and keep their classmates and teachers safe, too. If you haven’t gotten your physical, now is the time to contact your health care provider or take advantage of back-to-school clinics in your community.”

“Vaccines are one of the safest, simplest, and most effective tools we have to strengthen student attendance and to protect our children—and everyone around them,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. “As we head back to school, we urge families to make immunizations and health exams a top priority to ensure we’re setting our students up for a healthy, successful school year.”

Immunizations provide safe, effective protection against infectious diseases. For example, two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine provide 97% protection against these diseases. Because of prior preparedness like vaccinations, as well as a deliberate and decisive response from IDPH and local health departments, Illinois was able to quickly contain the measles outbreak in southern Illinois earlier this year. When the first case of measles in the state was identified in April 2025, IDPH launched a major strategic communications effort, targeting zip codes with school MMR vaccination rates below 91%. More than 2.5 million people were reached through this work.

Immunization was a significant contributing factor in containing the outbreak and preventing its spread. Both the number of measles cases and the length of the outbreak were limited by immunization efforts and state coordination.

However, under the Trump Administration, vaccine uptake has been declining nationally and prominent leaders such as Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., continue to sow unfounded skepticism in vaccines, even while cases of infectious diseases continue to rise. In the previous academic year, the percentage of kindergarteners nationwide who received the MMR vaccine was 92.5%, down from 92.7% the previous year and well below the 95.2% rate in 2019-2020. In Illinois, the MMR rate in kindergarteners is about 92%, falling below the protective threshold of 95%.

In partnership with state agencies, health care partners, local school districts, early childhood providers, and local health departments, Illinois continues to conduct vaccine outreach to communities across the state. This has included ongoing efforts to ensure Illinois children have access to vaccines through programs like the Vaccines for Children program and mobile clinics throughout the summer through IDPH’s mobile vaccination partner, CIMPAR. This work has also included tailored immunization communications focusing on measles outbreak prevention in our schools and overall communications that counter misinformation about vaccines that have been recommended by experts and keeping us healthy for decades. This is especially important for sectors that serve young children and families, as the many vaccines that are recommended in early childhood are an important opportunity for children to receive long-lasting protection.

Studies repeatedly show that serious side effects from vaccines are rare, while the risks of not being vaccinated far outweigh the rare complications that can result from an immunization. Measles, for example, will infect nine out of every ten exposed and unvaccinated individuals, and can lead to serious complications, including brain inflammation and pneumonia. One in five children who contract measles will wind up hospitalized, and one to three out of every 1,000 children with measles will die of the illness. 

Immunizations create widespread protection against infectious diseases, for the vaccinated child and the community at large, particularly those who may have health conditions that may make them more vulnerable to such illnesses.

In addition, students who fail to show proof of required immunizations and school physicals may need to be kept out of school to protect them during outbreaks, which can interrupt their learning and put additional burdens on their families. ​

IDPH and ISBE offer several tools to provide families with the information and services needed to make sure they and their children are protected and healthy: ​

###