The Senate approved a plan Thursday night (Oct.30)  that’ll codify recent executive orders to strengthen access to vaccines, regardless of changes at the federal level. [Health News Illinois]

The plan from Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, makes several changes to the Department of Public Health’s Immunization Advisory Committee. Along with laying out who can serve on the board, the bill outlines how the group can advise the state agency on ways to control diseases that vaccines or other medical countermeasures can prevent.

Another provision codifies when eligible providers in pharmacies and other clinical settings can administer certain vaccines recommended by the state agency. Pharmacists cannot give vaccines listed in the state’s immunization schedule to children under the age of seven.

It also expands the authority of IDPH’s chief medical officer to issue guidance and recommendations on immunizations or medical countermeasures, either in the absence of such recommendations from the agency director or to further supplement recommendations.

State insurers must cover vaccines and medical countermeasures under the state’s guidelines.

The plan passed the Senate along party lines. 

Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, said he worried about granting too much authority to the IDPH director to issue vaccine guidance, especially since the position does not need to be held by a physician.

“I don't think that our state provides enough qualifications in our statutes to allow for that sort of advice from someone who's not even a physician,” he said.

The proposal comes as IDPH and the Pritzker administration have looked to bolster their position on vaccine policy in recent months.

IDPH issued vaccine guidance last month ahead of the fall respiratory season, which differed from federal policy as it relates to COVID-19 vaccines.

The bill approved Thursday includes several non-vaccine-related health provisions that Koehler called clean-up language. That includes tasking the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to provide a grant to a statewide pharmacy association to support pharmacies across Illinois.

The program would target critical access care pharmacies, independent businesses and those that operate in medically underserved communities. It will be funded by fees collected from pharmacy benefit managers, which were established in the PBM reform package passed this spring.

It also clarifies when the PBM law would apply to Employee Retirement Income Security Act plans.

Koehler’s bill also says that it is not an unfair practice or deceptive practice to solicit an individual over the age of 65 to purchase accident or health insurance, unless the person has a healthcare power of attorney or a medical condition that reduces their capacity to make informed decisions.

The plan passed the House earlier this week and heads to Pritzker for final approval.

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