Measles Confirmed In Two Chicago Residents And One Migrant Child

(CTN News) – One Chicago resident and a migrant child at a shelter have been diagnosed with measles as of Friday, the first reported cases in Chicago since 2019.

Chicago Department of Public Health said Thursday that the city resident has recovered at home and the source of infection is unknown. Their infectious period ended on March 6 according to the department.

A second confirmed case of measles was reported on Friday at a shelter for migrant families, affecting a young child. An announcement said the child had also recovered and was no longer contagious.

A department official says they are contacting anyone who might have had contact with the two people diagnosed with measles.

Until authorities can determine who has been vaccinated and is therefore immune to meals, and who might be at risk for infection, residents of the migrant shelter were asked to remain in place.

Vaccinated individuals can leave the shelter, while unvaccinated individuals must remain, according to the statement. Residents who are unvaccinated will be screened for symptoms and offered the measles vaccine.

Earlier on Friday, city agencies will establish a process for assessing the vaccination status of shelter residents.

According to the public health authority, most Chicago residents receive measles vaccinations as children and are not likely to contract the illness.

As of this week, the migrant shelter was home to 1,876 people, including 95 toddlers ages one and two, according to Chicago alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez. According to him, there were 2,550 people last year.

If you were at Swedish Hospital on Feb. 27 between 8:30 a.m. in the afternoon, or if you were on Chicago Transit Authority Bus 92 between 9:15 a.m. through 11:30 a.m. that day, contact the department.

According to the department, while cases are exceedingly rare in Chicago because of high vaccination rates, global and U.S. reports of the disease have been increasing.

The state of Illinois reported five measles cases in 2023; prior to that it hadn’t seen one since 2019.

It has not been established whether the current case of measles in the city resident is related to the measles case of a man from Indiana who visited Chicago last month, the statement said.

According to department commissioner Dr. Olusimbo Ige, the MMR vaccine stops 97% of measles transmission, so we no longer see cases of measles. It’s never too late to get vaccinated, not just for you but also for those who aren’t able or too young to do it themselves.”

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