SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Working to defend public health and modern medicine against pseudoscience touted from Washington, state Rep. Joyce Mason, D-Gurnee, helped pass a new law to establish immunization guidelines and require Illinois Department of Public Health-recommended (IDPH) vaccines be covered by health insurance.
“Vaccines are vital to preventing severe, potentially life-threatening illnesses. They are especially important for the health and well-being of our children and their ability to learn and play,” said Mason. “By protecting access to vaccines, we are prioritizing the health of Illinoisans over the Trump administration’s wild, unfounded political agenda.”
House Bill 767 establishes transparent, evidence-based immunization guidelines for Illinois and reaffirms the state’s commitment to defending science. To keep vaccines accessible and affordable to those who seek them, the bill will require vaccinations recommended by IDPH to be fully covered by state-regulated health insurance plans.
Additionally under the measure, experts will make up a new Illinois Immunization Advisory Committee to ensure all recommendations are rooted in science. With heightened claims from the federal government and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grossly linking vaccines to autism, House Bill 767 critically ensures that immunization recommendations are being made by medical experts to thwart sickness and diseases for unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals—not politicians out of Washington.
“I continue to support the doctors, scientists, and researchers who work hard to keep us safe and healthy, rather than this federal administration that seems set on cultivating public uncertainty and distrust,” Mason said.
House Bill 767 was signed into law Tuesday and is effective immediately, with insurance changes to be effective January 1 of next year.