The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Tuesday that its recommendations for childhood vaccines will not be affected by a change in federal guidelines.

On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced updated recommendations for childhood vaccines with some significant changes. The new guidelines recommend fewer shots.

The vaccines recommended under the new guidelines include diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis (whooping cough), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), Pneumococcal conjugate, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and human papillomavirus (HPV), as well as varicella (chickenpox). (Some vaccines, such as the MMR shot for measles, mumps and rubella, protect against multiple diseases.)

In a second category under the new guidelines, it's recommended that only children in high-risk categories receive immunizations for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), hepatitis A, hepatitis B, dengue, meningococcal ACWY and meningococcal B. 

Finally, in a third category, for children not in high-risk groups, the decision on whether to receive certain vaccines should be based on "shared clinical decision-making" between physicians and parents, according to the CDC. Those immunizations include COVID-19, influenza, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B. 

In a statement Tuesday, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said the state's guidelines for childhood vaccines are not changing, regardless of what the CDC says.

"Illinois is focused on ensuring that our residents receive credible, transparent, scientific guidance. This announcement has no bearing on Illinois' childhood vaccine recommendations, which is based on up-to-date scientific evidence," Vohra said in the statement. "As the federal government unilaterally makes changes without transparent review or evidence to support changes, Illinois will continue to promote the well-being of Illinoisans by issuing recommendations based on the full weight of scientific evidence."

The changes at the CDC level follow a controversial December recommendation on when children should receive their first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine. For more than 30 years, the CDC advised that the first dose be given within 24 hours of birth.

The CDC's vaccine advisory panel, which has been hand-picked by Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr., voted to recommend delaying the shot until a child is 2 months old for those born to mothers who test negative for the virus.