Illinois lawmakers passed two dozen bills during their annual fall veto session that ended Friday, Oct. 31, including a measure that will empower the state’s Department of Public Health to issue vaccine guidelines amid federal uncertainty.

The formation of the group touches off a new chapter in a partisan battle over public health measures that has been heightened by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s advisers declining to recommend COVID-19 vaccinations.

The recommendation bucks new and murky guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that recommend vaccines only for people ages 65 and older.

A suburban Cook County resident in their 60s has died from the West Nile virus, the Cook County Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday. The risk of West Nile virus in suburban Cook County remains high, according to the public health agency.

The latest COVID-19 vaccines were approved for people who are 65 and older or have certain health conditions. But medical organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics — and some states — are breaking from the federal guidelines by expanding their recommendations.

The Illinois Department of Public Health this week issued a statement after Kennedy removed all volunteer members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

The case in Illinois is not considered an outbreak and the risk of measles transmission for the general public in the state remains low, according to IDPH.

State officials say the Trump administration is pulling back $477 million aimed at preventing infectious disease and treating mental health and substance abuse issues.

The cuts could force the elimination of more than 100 staff positions, Chicago officials said. 

IDPH’s funding for infectious disease prevention will see a “debilitating impact,” Director Sameer Vohra said in a statement. IDPH has been using the funding to track the spread of diseases, invest in lab upgrades, build up the public health workforce, and improve vaccination efforts.

More than 1.2 million Americans have died from COVID-19. Despite having one of the most sophisticated health care systems in the world, the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic fell well short when compared to other developed nations.

The proposal, House Bill 1910, does not provide for funding from the state, but it stipulates the opioid antagonists may be supplied by local county health departments. Training library staff would be overseen by organizations selected by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

There were about five times as many emergency department visits for flu as there were for COVID-19, according to IDPH data during the week ending Jan. 25.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Thursday that patients diagnosed with endometriosis, ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids and female orgasmic disorder can now register under the state’s compassionate use of medical cannabis program — bringing the total number of qualifying conditions to 56.

While the flu poses minimal immediate risk to humans, experts warn that the virus’ rapid spread among birds and mammals could increase the likelihood of mutations, potentially creating a strain more transmissible to humans.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois Department of Agriculture issued a joint statement Friday afternoon, reminding the public to use caution around waterfowl or other wild birds.