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. ISBE 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. IDPH and ISBE offer several tools to provide families with the information and services needed to make sure them and their children are protected and healthy:
• The IDPH Immunization page with full information about available and required immunizations, including immunization requirements in Illinois for the 2025-26 school year.
• The IDPH dashboard that helps families of Medicaid-eligible children locate publicly-funded vaccines under the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program.
• The form used by physicians at back-to-school physicals to screen for a variety of conditions.
• Several informational dashboards to help local school and health officials, parents, and the public understand how well protected their communities are against potential infectious disease outbreaks, including the School Vaccination Coverage Dashboard and the Measles Outbreak Simulator Dashboard.
