IPHA: Statewide Awareness Campaign Needed for Child Vaccines

Facing a difficult winter that just seems to want to hang on, flu and measles outbreaks are concerning. One group wants to do more about it.

The Illinois Public Health Association is seeking a $3 million state grant in this legislative session to raise awareness and shoot down myths about childhood vaccinations.

Tom Hughes, IPHA's executive director, told Capitol News Illinois this is part of a long-term effort to get more families to understand that vaccines keep everyone safe.

"There's no reason for children to be delayed in getting back into school, we have a responsibility for that," Hughes said.

And state data shows while most schools have high immunization rates, there are still more than 40,000 students in Illinois schools who have not been vaccinated. Outbreaks of measles and flu should only fuel the effort toward the solution pushed by Hughes' group.