Chicago, Illinois – A team of experts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is set to lend assistance in Chicago following a recent outbreak of measles. The Chicago Department of Public Health confirmed its first measles case since 2019, with the infected individual currently recovering at home. Additionally, two unrelated cases among children at a migrant shelter in the Pilsen neighborhood have been reported, with one child already recovered and the other hospitalized but in good condition.
The outbreak has brought the total number of cases in the city to five, including two cases among adults at the shelter. The CDC team will collaborate with local health departments to identify potentially at-risk individuals and provide clinical guidance, testing coordination, and educational outreach to emphasize the importance of vaccination. The Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner urges unvaccinated individuals to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves from the highly contagious virus.
Measles, a preventable disease, can lead to severe symptoms such as pneumonia and other life-threatening complications. Health officials stress the importance of vaccination as a key measure in preventing the spread of measles, particularly in community settings. The CDC recommends the MMR vaccine, which has shown to be over 95% effective in preventing illness after exposure with two doses administered in childhood.
In response to the outbreak, health workers have vaccinated over 900 shelter residents and identified more than 700 individuals with immunity. Those who are unvaccinated or recently vaccinated must undergo a 21-day quarantine and symptom monitoring. Furthermore, efforts are ongoing to provide MMR shots to newly arrived migrants who have not been previously vaccinated.
The resurgence of measles cases in the US, despite its elimination in 2000, underscores the importance of maintaining high vaccination rates. Recent data indicates that vaccination rates among US children and kindergartners remain below federal targets, prompting health officials to emphasize the necessity of receiving the MMR vaccine. Measles vaccination programs have significantly reduced the number of cases and deaths annually, highlighting the critical role of vaccination in preventing the spread of infectious diseases.