DeLuca Advances Measure to Help Adult Learners Meet College Vaccine Requirements
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Older students returning to college would have greater flexibility to meet vaccine requirements under a plan advanced to the House floor by state Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights.
“When adults choose to attend college later in life, they sometimes run into unexpected hurdles with vaccine requirements,” DeLuca said. “This is often easy to handle when you’re young, but if you’re older you may not have access to complete records, or your old doctor’s office may be closed. This proposal creates a better pathway for impacted students to continue on their academic journey.”
DeLuca’s House Bill 1073 updates the state’s College Student Immunization Act regarding tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine requirements. Current law reflects youth immunization schedules, which require three or more doses of the vaccine before starting classes. Under DeLuca’s measure, prospective adult students who do not have documentation of receiving three or more doses earlier in life can instead show that they have received a dose at least once in the 10 years prior to beginning enrollment, and then catch up with the additional necessary doses while enrolled.
“Most people impacted already received the recommended number of doses in their youth, and shouldn’t be slowed down by not having old paperwork,” DeLuca said. “I appreciate this concern being brought to me by a constituent, and I’m hopeful this proposal will help prospective adult students more easily access new learning opportunities.”
DeLuca’s measure received bipartisan support in the Higher Education Committee, and will now head to the full House chamber for consideration.
For more information, please contact RepDeLuca@SBCGlobal.net.