Hundreds of ZIP codes in Illinois are high-risk for lead exposure, according to a news release from IDPH

The Illinois Department of Public Health has identified 16 ZIP codes in Kane County that are high-risk for lead exposure. Lead poisoning is the top environmental illness in children, primarily caused by lead-based paint in older homes, according to the IDPH.

Many people consider their backyard an oasis from life’s cares. But beware! Five potential dangers might be lurking there.

The Illinois Department of Public Health is encouraging the public to be aware of ticks to prevent the spread of Lyme disease during these warm weather months.

The Illinois Department of Public Health could soon be suspending St. Mary's Hospital's Level II emergency designation due to the loss of its OB doctor.

The state of Illinois and the Illinois Department of Public Health created the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership as part of the Children’s Mental Health Act in 2003.

The Chicago Department of Public Health and Cook County Department of Public Health have reported two confirmed measles cases, marking the first for Cook County this year

Illinois sees first measles case in 2025; IDPH urges residents to check MMR vaccinations

Even with a recent nationwide surge in measles cases, the overall measles vaccination rate for school children remains above 95 percent in Illinois for the 2024-25 school year

The Joliet West student diagnosed with tuberculosis was advised to stay home until they are no longer contagious,

The termination pulls back $125 million in funding for IDPH and 97 local public health departments

IDPH recently created rapid tests that will be able to individually identify both strains of the bird flu. The IDPH director said this week said the virus is “not an active risk” to humans in Illinois because no human-to-human spread has been recorded

Under the Ethics Act, a high-level state employee can’t take a job with an organization that was subject to certain contracts, licensing or regulatory decisions from the state within one year of leaving their government position

The Illinois Department of Public Health has added four conditions to the list of conditions eligible for medical cannabis treatment, including Endometriosis and ovarian cysts

The year's first human case of West Nile Virus has been detected in Will County.

The Illinois Department of Public Health deemed 148 ZIP codes high-risk for lead contamination, expanding mandatory lead testing to 60 Illinois counties.

The West Nile virus has been found across 13 Illinois counties and health officials urge the public to stay alert.

The Living Room is an Illinois Department of Human Services program that gives adults 24-hour, 365-day access to free emergency mental health care.

A developmentally disabled woman who is a resident of the Marklund Hyde Center Campus near Geneva became pregnant as a result of sexual abuse and gave birth at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital.

Illinois Department of Public Health recalls Biniki Solar Eclipse Glasses.

IDPH has also confirmed this week that there was a third pediatric death due to influenza, all with December onsets

RSV is causing a heavy burden of pediatric hospitalizations and the percent of lab tests that are positive for RSV have been rising for 10 consecutive weeks, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health

In northern Illinois, the counties at an elevated level are: Lee, Ogle, Whiteside, Carroll, Boone, Winnebago, Stephenson, Jo Daviess, Marshall and Kankakee counties

A new state health report pinpoints racism as a public health crisis while also noting Illinois needs to improve in the areas of maternal and infant health, mental health and substance use disorders.

Lee and Ogle counties are 2 of the 20 statewide counties up to medium level of COVID-19 activity

IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said that the Illinois Wastewater Surveillance System is indicating moderate COVID activity across all sampling regions in Illinois. The CDC is expected to issue guidance in September about the newly developed COVID-19 boosters for fall.

Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday announced several new programs to help address the influx of out-of-state abortion seekers Illinois has seen in the 13 months since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

The Illinois Department of Public Health has announced it is revising how it collects and reports data on abortions in Illinois in order to protect the privacy and safety of those who receive abortions and abortion providers

The Illinois Department of Public Health has announced that it became easier for Illinois residents to change the gender listed on their birth certificate as of July 1, under a new law signed by Governor JB Pritzker in February.

The Mabley Center, a residential facility for the mentally and physically disabled in Dixon, was issued an “immediate jeopardy tag” Thursday after an apparent sexual assault of one resident by another on May 14, an Illinois Department of Human Services spokeswoman confirmed.

In the coming weeks, IDPH will begin delivery of approximately 1,090 air purifiers that will be distributed among 45 different Head Start programs throughout the state

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced that cases of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) are on the rise in Chicago and suburban Cook County.

A bat found Wednesday in a Woodstock home tested positive for rabies, the McHenry County Department of Health said in a news release.

Most Americans can expect to pay more for COVID-related care when the federal government ends its pandemic emergency declaration Thursday.

As of Thursday night, 404 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19, the fewest since July 4, 2021. Of those, 46 patients were in the ICU, the fewest since the start of the pandemic.

As of Thursday night, 475 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 49 patients were in the ICU, the first time the state has been under 50 COVID-19 patients in the ICU since the start of the pandemic.

Both IDPH and the Illinois Department on Aging have endorsed action this week by both the FDA and the CDC to simplify their recommendations for COVID-19 vaccinations

As of Thursday night, 568 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19, the fewest since April 19, 2022

Weekly COVID-19 deaths as reported by the IDPH are at their lowest since the beginning of the pandemic. But wastewater surveillance suggests COVID-19 is back on the rise after months of decline.

The counties at medium COVID-19 risk in northern Illinois are: Ogle, Lee, Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Winnebago and Boone.

The continuous enrollment program ends March 31, meaning Medicaid users must renew or risk being uninsured. In Illinois, the first notices go out in May for people with coverage due for renewal in June.

The one county in the state at “high” risk is Clay County in southeastern Illinois. None of the eight counties at “medium” risk are in northern Illinois.

Illinois is launching a $29.6 million program to distribute more than 60,000 HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) purifiers to Illinois schools to help reduce the transmission of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19.

IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra warned that cases of group A strep throat leading to severe complications are on the rise in Illinois, with more cases reported in 2023 than in any of the past five years.

As of Thursday night, 921 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 113 patients were in the ICU and 41 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators

Two of the 20 counties in the state at medium COVID-19 risk are in northern Illinois: Jo Daviess and Stephenson counties in northwestern Illinois.

None of the 19 counties at medium COVID-19 risk are in northern Illinois. But new hospital admission for COVID-19 are up from a week ago.

As of Thursday night, 834 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 100 patients were in the ICU and 34 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced that zero counties are considered at “high” risk for COVID-19, down from three a week ago. An additional 20 counties are at “medium” risk, down from 25 last week.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced that three counties are considered at “high” risk for COVID-19, down from 28 a week ago. An additional 56 counties are at “medium” risk, up from 45 last week.