State public health leaders are stepping up their messaging designed to counter recent guidance from the federal government about everything from vaccines to autism.
Governor J.B. Pritzker told an audience of health care professionals at the UIC School of Public Health on the city's West side yesterday that the bottom line comes down to one thing: "Ask your doctor."
The governor led a panel of doctors in a "lightning round" of sorts, based on questions raised by new federal messages about autism and vaccines ... including "Are vaccines considered safe and healthy and effective?" (Yes) and "Is autism an epidemic?" (No).
The panel included University of Chicago infectious disease expert Dr. Emily Landon, who explained that vaccines help protect against high risk but low likelihood diseases.
"Skipping them because you think it can't happen to you is a mistake," Dr. Landon said.
Another member of the panel, Dr. Lynn Yee from the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, refuted President Trump's recent suggestion that pregnant women should fight not to take acetaminophen, or Tylenol, if they have aches and fever: "Pregnant women should not 'tough it out.'"
And state public health director Dr. Sameer Vohra said the number of autism cases has grown in the U.S. because doctors have better and more sophisticated ways to screen for it.
"Neither vaccines nor acetaminophen are the cause of autism," Dr. Vohra said.
And the panel said it's unfair to blame pregnant patients if their child is on the spectrum.