Canty-Backed Bill Defends Science, Reaffirms Support for Evidence-Based Immunizations

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — Working to defend public health and modern medicine against pseudoscience touted from Washington, state Rep. Mary Beth Canty, D-Arlington Heights, helped pass a new law to establish immunization guidelines and require Illinois Department of Public Health-recommended (IDPH) vaccines be covered by health insurance.

“I promised to work to keep this community safe when I went to Springfield,” Canty said. “Whether that means giving our law enforcement the tools they need to do their jobs, ensuring that environmental waste and pollution are under control, fighting for gun safety measures or—in this case—adhering to science-based public health recommendations, I’m committed to fulfilling that promise.”

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.

“The federal government has abandoned scientific rigor for partisanship. I won’t let this administration undermine all the good work that doctors, researchers, specialists and public servants have done to create smart guidelines that keep our community healthy,” Canty said.

“Donald Trump stopped trashing the COVID-19 vaccine the moment he needed it, and that tells you all you need to know about how serious these people are about their wild theories.”

House Bill 767 was signed into law Tuesday and is effective immediately, with insurance changes to be effective Jan. 1 of next year.