Illinois lawmakers receive COVID-19 update, status of vaccination efforts

[August 10, 2021]  By Greg Bishop

(The Center Square) – A public hearing on the status of COVID-19 in Illinois, where lawmakers asked questions of public health officials, is leaving some with even more questions.

State Rep. Adam Niemerg asked for specific data from Illinois Department of Public Health acting state epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Patrick about youth hospitalizations. Patrick couldn't immediately provide that data, but said children who contract COVID-19 can sicken others.

“We can’t just pull the kids out and ignore the fact that severe illness can happen to others as well,” Patrick said, noting that there were increased cases of children getting COVID-19 after visiting summer camp and bringing it back to their home communities.

IDPH later provided a chart showing historical data of hospitalizations with COVID-19 diagnoses for two sets of people 17 and under.

The peak hospitalization for those under 12 statewide was Nov. 1, 2020, with 105 hospitalized across the state. That dropped in the months after to 31 on Feb. 1, 2021, 58 on March 1, 2021, 58 on April 1, 2021, 55 on May 1, 2021, and 29 on June 1, 2021. For July 1, 2021, IDPH says there were 57 children under 12 hospitalized, or half of the peak in November.

There were fewer 12- to 17-year-olds hospitalized during that same time frame, from August 2020 to July 2021. That category peaked at 72 hospitalized statewide on Nov. 1, 2020. For July 1, 2021, there were 21 children 12- to 17-year-olds hospitalized with COVID, according to data provided by IDPH.

Niemerg said the most vulnerable elderly population is being vaccinated, and criticized the governor’s mask mandate on children in schools.

“When I look at all of these data and when I have these conversations and I see the [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidance as ‘recommended,’ and I see the IDPH having guidance as ‘recommended,’ that local control is universally what’s being recommended here, it is greatly concerning to me that the governor can edict to the entire state a universal mask mandate,” Niemerg said.

There were also questions about testing for the delta variant. Health officials said that’s a more difficult test to conduct, as it requires genetic sequencing, but they extrapolate from testing that has been done that the delta variant is circulating throughout the state.

East Side Health District CEO Elizabeth Patton-Whiteside told lawmakers she needs more resources for nursing staff and called for fewer restrictions on how grant dollars can be used. She also said there’s a battle against misinformation in getting younger people vaccinated.

State Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, Illinois Department of Public Health acting State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Patrick, East Side Health District CEO Elizabeth Patton-Whiteside, and state Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, during a House hearing Monday.   ILGA.gov

“I’m constantly fighting TikTok, Snapchat and the rest of that, because of all of the false information that goes out in those media sources to the teens,” Patton-Whiteside said. “My teens, when I ask them ‘why won’t you take the shot,’ they tell me about TikTok. That’s not good.”

State Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, also raised an alarm about mixed messaging.

“There’s so many different talking heads out there that’re giving so much different information, so who do you trust,” Flowers said.

There are too many people who don’t have access to health care, Flowers said, and may feel they’re being shamed for not getting vaccinated, regardless of their reasons.

While they encourage vaccination, public health officials say people should talk with their primary-care physician to determine what’s best for them.

Chart provided by IDPH showing history of children 17 and younger hospitalized with COVID-19 since Aug. 1, 2020.

Illinois Department of Public Health