5/20/26
Today, our guest speaker was Adam Forker, Executive Director of DuPage County Health Department (DCHD: https://www.dupagehealth.org/
Childhood immunizations are available at DCHD through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program for all children who do not have insurance, with insurance that does not cover immunizations, or children who are Medicaid eligible. Children whose health insurance covers the cost of vaccinations are not eligible for VFC vaccines.
Amid ongoing federal changes to vaccine guidance, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has adopted the 2026 child and adolescent immunization schedule recently issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has a Vaccine Locator Dashboard. This tool helps providers, parents, and community members find locations offering publicly funded vaccines for adults and children through the Adult Immunization Program (AIP) or Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program. Access the dashboard here: Vaccine Locator Dashboard.
The IDPH has a map of school vaccination coverage showing the percentage of protection for school children within the county by vaccine type: https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/prevention-wellness/immunization/coverage-dashboards/school-vaccination-coverage-dashboard.html