Dupage Policy Journal

State Sen. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) has a simple philosophy of why he stands so strongly against a bill he says would make vaccinations a requirement for all.

“My body, my choice, he told The Center Square. “I recommend my colleagues vote no.”

House Bill 347, which is now working its way through the legislature with the help of Democratic support, would also require that the vaccinations of all Illinoisans be processed in a state-run database.  As one of the chief sponsors of the bill, state Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) has also indicated the bill would increase to 70 percent the amount taxpayers can reimburse doctors for child immunizations.

“Right now they’re only paid $6.40 and the average amount that physicians (pay) for these vaccines is $30 to $60, this would increase that to $16,” she added.

As for the database, Gabel said the data registry would be called I-CARE (Illinois Comprehensive Automated Immunization Registry Exchange) and records of all immunizations would be stored there.

 “Right now only children’s immunizations are,” she said. “This will help provide and be able to track immunizations across the state.”

Chesney isn’t the only one concerned about what that could mean.  

“People are very concerned about having this information based in a data registry,” said state Rep. Norine Hammond (R-Macomb).

Besides adding a provision that would allow people to opt out of the database, Gabel is now dedicating more time to explaining what she hopes the bill will accomplish.

“This bill does not mandate that anybody get a vaccine for anything,” she said. “All it does is wants to help us be able in a public health mode identify areas that may need some help.”

She added the measure that now sits in the Illinois Senate won’t be individualized and only used in the aggregate.