Macon Reporter

Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) thinks that it should be the parents who decide whether they want to vaccinate their children or not.

In an Oct. 28 news release, Caulkins issued a statement about the potential for COVID-19 vaccinations to be mandated for students.

“The decision to vaccinate children for COVID-19 should be a decision made by parents, not the government," Caulkins said. "Politicians should not be the ones mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for our youth. I trust our parents to make this healthcare decision, not politicians.”

Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the COVID-19 vaccine be on the schedule of youth vaccines for next year. According to The Center Square, when asked about it Thursday, Pritzker deferred to the state legislature. “The CDC has made a recommendation, that’s true, but this is a process that we need to consider. All across the state we have representatives that want to be heard on this subject, I think it’s appropriate,” Pritzker said. “I think we should follow the scientists and doctors, that’s what I’ve been doing all along. Make sure we’re doing the right thing here.”

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced that it has seen an uptick in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. "The CDC released data showing that 38 counties in Illinois are at an elevated community level for COVID-19, up from 26 counties last week," the IDPH reported. "Five counties are rated a High level and 33 are at Medium. IDPH is reporting 13,642 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Illinois, and 67 deaths since Oct. 21."

Caulkins was first elected to the Illinois House in 2018. His legislative experience includes serving on the Public Utilities, and Prescription Drug Affordability committees. Caulkins resides in Decatur.