Illinois officials unveiled Monday what they call their first comprehensive look at how Illinoisans use alcohol and its impact on public health. [Health News Illinois]

The analysis from the Department of Public Health found that more than 2,300 deaths statewide between 2020 and 2023 were from causes directly attributable to chronic alcohol use, such as liver disease. An additional 2,000 deaths were “indirectly associated” with chronic alcohol use, including hypertension, coronary heart disease and liver cancer.

Such deaths varied by region. The Peoria region had the highest rate at 5.2 deaths per 100,000 individuals. The greater Chicago region saw a rate of 2.3 deaths per 100,000 individuals.

The report also found a rise in the number of alcohol-related vehicle fatalities. In 2022, the most recent year cited in the report, 37 percent of fatal crashes involved a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of at least .01. Another five percent involved levels between .01 and .07, and 32 percent involved a driver above the legal limit of .08.

The data was compiled from various sources, including several surveys conducted between 2021 and 2023, as well as information compiled by state and federal databases.

The report found that 57 percent of Illinoisans have consumed at least one alcoholic beverage within 30 days of taking part in a survey on their alcohol use. 

More than 18 percent of individuals acknowledged binge drinking, or having at least four drinks within a couple of hours for females, and at least five drinks for males.

Nearly 23 percent of high schoolers have consumed at least one alcoholic beverage in the past 30 days, with more than 11 percent acknowledging they binge drank during that time frame.

Agency Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said the report provides the “most detailed picture to date of how alcohol use and misuse affect the health and safety of Illinois residents.”

“This report serves as a critical foundation for a more informed, coordinated response to the growing public health challenges posed by alcohol misuse across Illinois,” he said.

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As you may know, there has been substantial controversy and negative publicity about the safety of the fluoride and community water fluoridation (CWF) concerning neurodevelopment/IQ over the past 15 months since the publication of the National Toxicology Program's (NTP) "Monograph on the State of the Science Concerning Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopment and Cognition: A Systematic Review" and the January 2025 publication of the related meta-analysis by Taylor et al. (2025) in JAMA Pediatrics. IOM-C seminar spaeaker (11/18/25) and UI College of Dentistry Professor Steven Levy also wrote an associated editorial challenging many of their analysis and conclusions (Levy et al., 2025) published in the same journal issue. Virtually all relevant previous publications have been from other countries and/or at much higher F levels than used with CWF. [JAMA Pediatrics et al]

On November 19, 2025, a very important article was published in Science Advances concerning CWF with U.S. data relating fluoride exposures to cognitive test results for a large cohort of high school students followed up at approximately age 60 (Warren et al., 2025). This is a "Game-Changer" since it clearly shows that CWF is not harmful to cognition at the levels used in the United States and is associated with better cognition in adolescence. See the linked article, supplemental material, and important editorial by Dr. Savitz. 

World-recognized epidemiologist, Dr. David Savitz, said in his commentary (2025) that "Until clear evidence exists that water fluoridation lacks public health benefit or compelling evidence of harm at the level of fluoride exposure in fluoridated water, neither of which has occurred, it seems foolhardy to interfere with a long-established and well-recognized public health success. With due credit to the folk wisdom of Bert Lance, director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Jimmy Carter, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Warren and colleagues move the needle a bit further into the "ain't broke" range."

Additional information: Science Advances- Warren et al>

Nov.19, 2025 >Warren information>

Savitz information>

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When Su Wang was in medical school, she donated blood. That’s when she learned she was infected with hepatitis B, a virus that attacks the liver and can lead to cancer and death decades later. [KFF Health News]

This story also ran on CBS News. It can be republished for free.

“I was 18, healthy, in college,” she said. “And suddenly I had a chronic illness I didn’t even know about.”

Born in Florida in 1975, Wang grew up before the hepatitis B vaccine was routinely given to newborns. For years, she assumed she had been infected by her mother, only to discover later that both her parents were negative. “It turns out my grandparents, who cared for me after birth, probably passed it to me,” she said. “That’s how easy this virus spreads — not from some exotic risk factor, just family.”

Today, Wang is the medical director for viral hepatitis programs at RWJBarnabas Health in New Jersey. Her story now sits at the center of a historic turning point in public health.

On Dec. 5, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to end the universal U.S. recommendation for the newborn dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, instead adopting a policy urging individual-based decision-making.

Under the new approach, only infants born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B will automatically receive a dose of the vaccine and hepatitis B antibodies shortly after birth. For everyone else, if the parents choose to vaccinate, the birth dose can be delayed until 2 months of age.

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Stark racial disparities in maternal and infant health in the U.S. have persisted for decades despite continued advancements in medical care. Compared to other high-income countries, the U.S. remains the country with the highest rate of maternal deaths. The disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people of color brought increased attention to health disparities, including the longstanding inequities in maternal and infant health. Subsequently, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, growing barriers to abortion, cuts to staff and programs within the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the passage of the 2025 tax and budget law all have the potential to further widen existing disparities in maternal health. [KFF Health News] 

This brief provides an overview of racial disparities for selected measures of maternal and infant health, discusses the factors that drive these disparities, and provides an overview of policy changes that may impact them. It is based on KFF analysis of publicly available data from CDC WONDER online database, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) National Vital Statistics Reports, and the CDC Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System.

While this brief focuses on racial and ethnic disparities in maternal and infant health, wide disparities also exist across other dimensions, including income, education, age, and other characteristics. For example, there is significant variation in some of these measures across states and disparities between rural and urban communities. Data and research often assume cisgender identities and may not systematically account for people who are transgender and non-binary. In some cases, the data cited in this brief use cisgender labels to align with how measures have been defined in underlying data sources. Key takeaways include:

Large racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes persist. Pregnancy-related mortality rates among Black women are over three times higher than the rate for White women (49.4 vs. 14.9 per 100,000). Black, American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN), and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (NHPI) women also have higher shares of preterm births, low birthweight births, or births for which they received late or no prenatal care compared to White women. Infants born to Black, AIAN, and NHPI people have markedly higher mortality rates than those born to White people

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Maternal & Child Health - Mortality and Morbidity will be a key issues discussed at the upcoming 10th State of Health of Chicago on Jan. 21, 2026. Eight outstanding speakers will participate in an interactive discussion on this topic and other topics. Open to all. More details and to register, visit this page> 

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Physicians are facing a “perfect storm” in behavioral health, with more patients seeking treatment amid limited access and an understaffed workforce, Robert Trestman, MD, PhD, chair of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke, said at a Dec. 4 HHS-CMS event. 

The challenge, he said, lies in how health systems can support large volumes of behavioral health patients while managing limited time, access and resources. For Dr. Trestman, the answer is integration and measurement-based care. 

CMS is set to roll out a tech-supported care model for chronic conditions — including behavioral health — that aims to test whether tying recurring payments to health outcomes can accelerate adoption of digital tools. Participants will receive recurring payments to manage patients’ conditions, with payment tied to specific health outcomes. 

A majority of Medicare patients present with a comorbidity, whether it be a cardiac, metabolic or orthopedic condition, making patients’ cases more complex when they do access care. He said “improved coordinated care and access to all of the integrated care and coordination among ourselves is critical and lacking in the current system.”

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Roughly one-in-three Cook County residents in a mental health crisis have used the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for support, but a recent report finds more can be done to raise awareness for the service. [Health News Illinois]

The report from the Cook County Department of Public Health and the Cook County Justice Advisory Council gathered data from 304 surveys collected at community events and eight focus groups of behavioral health or service providers and individuals who used services.

While roughly 33 percent of respondents said they have used 988 since it went live in 2022, another 55 percent of respondents said they called 911 or visited an emergency room while in a mental health crisis.

Cook County Health CEO Dr. Erik Mikaitis said the report reflects that changing habits and building awareness of 988 will take time.

“We’re up against long-standing care patterns and stigma, but with 988 and community-based crisis care, we are collectively building new pathways to help people get the right care, at the right time, in the right place,” Mikaitis said. “It's a journey we’re on together with our partners across Cook County and within our communities.”

The report lays out several steps toward improving awareness for 988. That includes additional community outreach with local organizations, investments in paid digital marketing and target outreach, improved coordination between service providers and support for community health workers.

Cook County provides just over $18 million in funding to community-based mental health organizations that support the 988 crisis line and provide crisis care services.

“This report highlights the progress being made in building systems of community-based care that both prevent crises before they arise and can respond to persons in crisis when they occur,” Cook County board President Toni Preckwinkle said in a statement. “Cook County remains committed to ensuring that every resident can receive compassionate support when they need it most.”

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Illinois’ vaccine advisory committee will meet later this month to review the latest federal changes to guidance for the Hepatitis B vaccine. [Health News Illinois]

Friday's announcement of the December 16 meeting came hours after the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to remove a long-standing recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth.

Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra noted they previously adopted the CDC immunization schedules as revised on August 7, which recommends hepatitis B vaccination for all newborns.

“As a pediatrician and a parent, I am deeply concerned by this shift away from universal newborn vaccination, particularly in the absence of any new scientific evidence to support such a change,” Vohra said. “In Illinois, we remain committed to science-based public health policy.”

The Department of Health and Human Services said the change to the universal newborn vaccination will embolden parents to have further say in whether their children receive the vaccine.

“Parents should consult with healthcare providers to decide whether to test antibody levels to hepatitis surface antigen to evaluate adequacy of protection through (vaccines),” the agency said after the vote.

Advocates decried the vote, noting that Hepatitis B infection among U.S. children dropped by 99 percent since the vaccine policy went into effect over 30 years ago.

Gov. JB Pritzker last week signed a law that strengthens the Department of Public Health’s Immunization Advisory Committee, including an outline for how the group can advise the state agency on ways to control diseases through vaccines or other medical countermeasures.

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Young and middle-age adults who had at least one dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine were less likely to die of any cause in the following 4 years compared with those who weren't vaccinated, a nationwide French cohort study found. {MEDPAGE Today]

Among over 28 million adults under 60 years of age, the incidence of all-cause mortality among those who received a first dose of mRNA vaccine from May 1 to Oct. 31, 2021, was 0.4% after a median follow-up of 45 months, compared with 0.6% in those who were unvaccinated by Nov. 1, 2021.

Key Takeaways

• In a French cohort, the incidence of all-cause mortality among those who received a first dose of an mRNA COVID vaccine was 0.4% after a median follow-up of 45 months, compared with 0.6% of those who were unvaccinated.
• After standardizing characteristics between the two groups, all-cause mortality incidence was 25% lower in those who had received a COVID shot.
• Vaccinated people were 74% less likely to die in a hospital because of COVID-19 compared with those who weren't vaccinated.

More>

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Setting up guardrails for the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare will prove challenging, but can help build trust in the technology, panelists said Wednesday.

Dr. Abel Kho, director of the Institute for AI in Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said during a Health News Illinois event in Chicago that AI is going to be ubiquitous, and that it will be “really, really difficult” to make a broad regulatory framework. [Health News Illinois] 

Instead, he said an approach that focuses on specific applications of artificial intelligence makes more sense, such as with prior authorization.

“I think there is a precedent set for states to come in and have a clear, on-the-ground, reality-driven policy, especially around specific domains,” Kho said. “But I think broadly… It's changing too fast, it's too ubiquitous. I think it can be very, very difficult for us to come up with something that's going to be relevant today and in 10 years from now.”

Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, said policymakers are “building the plane as it’s in the air” when it comes to regulating AI. The added challenge is that the General Assembly is a “slow, deliberate” group, and regulations approved when lawmakers return to Springfield early next year may be invalid just a few months later.

Other challenges Morgan flagged include a potential federal ban on states regulating AI, and discussions on the balance between guardrails and tapping into the potential of AI in healthcare.

“(This) provides an opportunity to break down those barriers and to democratize healthcare in a way that we've probably never seen,” Morgan said. “Technology is starting to get there with telemedicine and telehealth, but really, artificial intelligence has so many intentions.”

One potential piece, he said, that lawmakers will consider next spring is how insurers outsource claims reviews to third-party payers that use AI to process claims.

Dr. George Cybulski, chief of neurosurgery and clinical AI leader at Humboldt Park Health, said that physicians are trying to solve problems at the patient level, and that collaboration is needed to craft rules that protect all parties.

Panelists also noted that AI has come much more into the public consciousness in recent years, though the attention has not always been positive.

Dr. Jon Handler, a senior fellow of innovation at OSF HealthCare, said patients are often “shocked” to find out that AI is not being used nearly as much as they think when it comes to medical records and other health services.

He said a key to trust is to have AI for a specific purpose that helps patients and physicians, such as transcription tools and flagging potential mistakes.

“I think in many ways, (patients) expect and are generally happy with the idea that the medical record will serve as a second double-check on the clinician, and to the extent that we make that real, I think that's a good thing that increases trust,” Handler said. “I think the minute they perceive the AI has forbidden them from getting certain care, prevented them from being able to talk to someone they need to talk to, prevented them from getting payment for services they felt they needed at that moment, then we will know that's where the trust in AI for that purpose will be lost.”

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Gov. JB Pritzker signed off Tuesday on a plan to codify recent executive orders to strengthen access to vaccines, regardless of changes at the federal level.[Health News Illinois]

The law makes several changes to the Department of Public Health’s Immunization Advisory Committee, including specifics on who can serve on the board and for how long. It also 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.

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

The law 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.

Pritzker said during a bill signing in Chicago that the law will continue to bolster the state’s ability to dictate vaccine policy.

“This law empowers IDPH and the Illinois Immunization Advisory Committee to safeguard vaccine access and maintain science-based recommendations,” he said.

IDPH issued vaccine guidance this September, which differed from federal policy as it relates to COVID-19 vaccines.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services earlier this year fired all members of the independent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices board. New members of the committee, appointed by Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., have looked to roll back access to COVID-19 vaccines and have raised concerns about some pediatric vaccines.

The new chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices told the Washington Post on Tuesday that the panel plans to vote this week to end universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth and to scrutinize whether childhood shots cause allergies.

Dr. Marielle Fricchione, a pediatric infectious diseases doctor at Rush Children's Hospital and chair of the state-based immunization committee, said they will follow the outcome of this week’s federal meeting and respond “to any changes that are made that are against scientific consensus.”

“I look forward to chairing a committee with more diverse expertise, a committee that's more nimble, a committee that's more empowered to help the state issue evidence-based immunization guidelines,” Fricchione said.

IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said Tuesday that the federal changes have upended the “time-honored processes for evaluating and improving immunizations” and have led to inaccurate and politicized messaging meant to confuse residents.

“We understand that families have questions, especially in times of uncertainty, but it's that much more important that when those questions are presented, that they get access to healthcare based on the most reliable science based information available,” he said.

The law also includes several non-vaccine-related health provisions. 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.

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