Springfield, IL-(Effingham Radio)- Newly published report highlights state’s progress in readiness for disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and bioterror threats
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced Illinois has been named a “high-performance” state for emergency preparedness, the highest ranking a state can receive, in a newly released report by Trust for America’s Health. The annual report evaluates states on their ability to respond to various public health emergencies using ten key indicators including incident management, patient safety, and health security surveillance, among other measures.
This year, Illinois received a top tier ranking after being ranked in the middle performance category in 2025. The advancement reflects improvements driven by ongoing investments in emergency preparedness infrastructure, workforce preparation, and response systems. The state previously achieved high-performance rankings in 2020 and 2022.
“Despite the Trump administration gutting vital resources for states, Illinois continues to strengthen its public health partnerships and preventative measures while leading with science,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Illinois has taken matters into our own hands to the greatest extent possible, and while we are proud to be recognized as one of the most prepared states, we remain gravely concerned about the lack of cooperation, resources, and commitment to science on the federal level should there be another public health catastrophe or other disaster.”
In the report, states are categorized into three tiers: high, middle, and low performance. This year, 20 states including Illinois earned a high-performance designation.
“Earning a high-performance ranking reflects our deep commitment to strengthening Illinois’s readiness for public health emergencies,” said Dr. Sameer Vohra, Director of IDPH. “Under the leadership of Governor JB Pritzker and the General Assembly, IDPH has invested in stronger systems, better training, and global partnerships that enhance our ability to protect our communities during times of crisis. We will continue building on this momentum to ensure Illinois remains prepared for whatever public health challenges lie ahead.”
Illinois’ rise in the rankings reflects a multi-year effort to strengthen preparedness, including the following IDPH efforts:
- A $1.5 million investment to upgrade two state hospitals to serve as Elite Special Pathogen Treatment Centers for high-consequence pathogens.
- A $45 million investment in major upgrades to modernize public health data systems.
- The development of an after-action report and a Public Health Emergency Preparedness Response Playbook in the aftermath of COVID-19.
- Devoting significant workforce resources to developing preparedness plans and training staff and partners on the execution of those plans.
- Joining the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) following the federal government’s withdrawal from WHO.
- Protecting access to vaccines by creating and publishing science-based vaccine guidance for Illinoisans, requiring state-regulated insurers to cover vaccines recommended by the department.
- Expanding access for children to receive immunizations at pharmacies.
- Adopting the science-based 2026 child and adolescent immunization schedule issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics, in response to federal changes to immunization guidance that were not backed by scientific evidence.
- Bolstering the Illinois Immunization Advisory Committee (IL-IAC), adding more experts to conduct robust review of available evidence about immunizations and make recommendations to IDPH.
- Making immunizations more accessible through mobile clinics and other efforts.
The full report is available online. To learn more, go to DPH.illinois.gov.
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