Illinois public health officials now have more authority to set the state’s own vaccine guidelines under a law signed Tuesday by Gov. JB Pritzker that aims to “fill the void” left by vaccine skeptics in President Donald Trump’s administration.

As federal officials under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tighten regulations against the recommendations of most experts, Illinois’ new legislation empowers an independent state committee “to safeguard vaccine access and maintain science-based recommendations,” Pritzker said during a West Loop news conference.

“While RFK Jr. and his QAnon-inspired colleagues spreading conspiracy theories and dangerous misinformation about vaccines are running around Washington,
Illinois is stepping up to protect the health of our people,

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