Pritzker orders COVID-19 vaccines for day care workers

Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued an executive order today mandating COVID-19 vaccines for all day care providers.

The edict, he said, affects roughly 55,000 workers in the state. Day care employees will have to show proof of vaccination or be required to get tested once a week.

"By extending vaccine-or-test requirements to those who work at licensed day care centers, we are adding another level of protection for our youngest residents and preventing outbreaks in day care centers as more and more parents return to work," Pritzker said.

Day care workers must show proof of full vaccination by Dec. 3 or submit to weekly testing. There are 2,872 licensed day care centers in the state affected by the governor's order, officials said.

Children under the age of 12 are not able to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Federal regulators are expected to approve use of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for children between ages 5 and 11 early next month, but children younger than that won't have access to the vaccine for some time.

"For continued, ongoing protection of our youth not yet eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, this executive order is the best way to protect the lives of thousands of Illinoisans," said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, head of the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Illinois has an indoor mask mandate for anyone over age 2. Pritzker said these new vaccination requirements for day care staff are in line with vaccination requirements he made in August for school staff throughout the state.