August 2026

As we head into the fall and winter months, now is the time to prepare for the upcoming respiratory season. Vaccination remains one of our best tools for protecting individuals, families, and communities from serious illness caused by influenza, COVID-19, and RSV. Immunize Illinois Coalition encourages providers and partners to review their vaccination practices, ensure recommended vaccines are available, strengthen outreach and reminder efforts, and use every opportunity to encourage patients to stay up to date. In this issue, you will find several resources, webinars, and articles to assist your efforts this respiratory season. Together, we can help Illinois communities enter respiratory season protected and prepared.

THANK YOU! The Immunize Illinois Coalition Vaccine Needs Survey closed August 7 and we are eagerly reviewing and analyzing data. Over 120 responses were received and represented varying disciplines, geographic locations, and provider organizations. Thank you to everyone who took time out of their busy schedule to provide valuable insights. We are excited to share the data with you in the coming weeks. Stay Tuned!

Sustaining Access to Immunizations Across the Lifespan: A Policy Summit for Employers, Health Plans, and Advocates. Last week, in recognition of National Immunization Awareness Month, the Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA) and the Immunize Illinois Coalition hosted a timely Illinois vaccine policy summit. The policy summit, sponsored by Merck, was held at Erin’s Pavilion in Springfield, and focused on the following key issues in the immunization field:

Advancing Influenza Vaccination: Building Confidence and Expanding Access with FluMist and FluMist Home a webinar presented in partnership with Illinois Academy of Family Physicians (IAFP), Illinois Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP), and Immunize Illinois Coalition will be held on August 28 at 12:00 PM CT. Register here.

Immigration Vaccines and Guidelines. Join Indiana Immunization Coalition and Dr. Maurice Henein, MD, a designated civil surgeon in Indianapolis, to discuss the vaccines and procedures necessary to meet immigration requirements. This webinar will be held September 3 at 2:00 PM CT. Register here.

Preparing for Respiratory Virus Season 2026-2027 Recommendations hosted by ICAAP will be held September 9 at 12:00 PM CT. Register here.

Who Can we Trust for Vaccine Information with Dr. Paul Offit will be held at 12:00 PM ET on September 9. Presented by The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, together with Pennsylvania’s Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Nesbitt School of Pharmacy at Wilkes University. Find out more or register today.

Save The Date! New Advances in Seasonal Influenza Vaccination: A Review of mFLUSIVA® This educational webinar will provide an overview of mFLUSIVA®, Moderna's approved mRNA seasonal influenza vaccine. Topics will include the burden of influenza, challenges in seasonal strain selection, the mRNA platform, a high-level review of the Phase 3 clinical data, and key information on the approved indication, dosing, and storage and handling. September 11 12:00 PM CT. Registration details coming soon.

Vax Advocate Training. Are you interested in using your voice to make your family, school, neighborhood, or community healthier? Voices for Vaccines is building a community of Vaccine Advocates. Attend monthly training sessions for actionable tools and best practices in vaccine advocacy

• Topics include the 4-A method, storytelling for social change, pro-vaccine messaging and media, resilience for advocates, and leadership 
• Access toolkits to engage communities in vaccine advocacy
• Meet like-minded people from other communities advocating for immunization

If you’re interested in learning more, fill out the form as “volunteer” here.

Popular One Page “Influenza Vaccine Products for the 2026–2027 Influenza Season” released by immunize.org. The popular one-page reference document lists all available products (including Moderna’s mRNA vaccine), presentations, ages, and billing codes. The reference document can be found here.

Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia launched a series of new resources as part of the Parents PACK (Possessing, Accessing and Communicating Knowledge about vaccines) program. Resources include single-sided pdfs related to disease and vaccines, available in both English and Spanish, which can be found here.

National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO) and Vaccinate Your Family held Navigating Back to School Immunization in a Dynamic Vaccine Policy Landscape on August 5, 2026. The recording and slides can be viewed here.

IDPH Reaffirms Existing Child Immunization Schedule Based on Science. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reminding Illinoisans that the state’s existing endorsement of the 2026 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule remains unchanged, despite a federal executive order issued August 10 seeking to make changes to established vaccine guidance. IDPH notes that years of study confirm the vaccines on the existing child and adolescent schedule are safe and effective in keeping children healthy and protecting them from the effects of serious preventable illnesses. IDPH’s full statement can be found here. Information for the 2026-27 school year can be found here.

Is There a Summer COVID-19 Surge this year? Yep! And it’s Ramping Up Again. Read the article from NPR here.

Illinois Academy of Family Physicians launched a new podcast! The Illinois Pulse podcast is designed for family physicians, residents, medical students, and primary care professionals. The Illinois Pulse features timely conversations with physician leaders, public health experts, advocates and colleagues from across Illinois. Subscribe and listen on your favorite podcast platform including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, i-Heart, and Spotify.

Protection is powerful!

Thank you for helping Illinois stay immunized!