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A team of experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will arrive in Chicago on Tuesday to help local public health officials manage the measles outbreak.
Last week, the Chicago Department of Public Health announced the city's first case of measles since 2019. The city says the person is recovering well at his home.
The ministry announced Sunday that there were two unrelated measles cases among children at a facility. A migrant shelter located in a large warehouse in the city's Pilsen district. The health department said one child has recovered and is no longer contagious. The second child is in the hospital but is in good health.
The ministry announced on Monday that two adults in evacuation centers were also confirmed to be infected, bringing the total number of infected people in the city to five. Both adults are in stable condition.
The CDC sends experts at the request of local governments, but says it has not sent staff to other recent measles outbreaks.
The CDC team will work closely with city and state health departments to help identify people at risk of becoming ill. The team will provide clinical guidance, help coordinate testing, and educate influential community leaders and clinicians who can work with people on the ground to emphasize the importance of vaccination. The CDC will also provide guidance on vaccination campaigns targeting specific schools, shelters, and other congregate settings, as well as provide additional vaccines to ensure sufficient supply for both adults and children. is.
“While the majority of Chicagoans have been vaccinated against measles and are not at high risk, we urge unvaccinated people, new arrivals, and all Chicagoans to get vaccinated as soon as possible.” “This is the first measles outbreak in our city in years, and it is the best prevention we have so far against measles,” said Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Olusimbo “Simbo” Ige. he said in a statement on Sunday.
“Because measles is highly contagious, more cases are expected to occur. If you have been in contact with someone infected with measles and have not been vaccinated, immediately isolate and call your health care provider. If you are unsure of your vaccination status, please stay home and call your health care provider as soon as possible.”
The health system, the Cook County Health Department, said Monday that it is coordinating with other local departments to contact patients and staff known to have been in the vicinity of some of the measles cases. Measles patients sought medical assistance from Stroger Hospital's emergency department, Arlington Heights Health Center, and CCH's specialty wing. The Cook County Health Department said it followed all reporting procedures with local and state public health officials in responding to the measles case.
“The Cook County Health Department believes the risk to staff is low as vaccination is a prerequisite for employment.” medical system Said. “We cannot overstate the importance of vaccination to prevent the spread of measles.”
Measles is highly contagious and can cause severe illness, including pneumonia and other potentially life-threatening complications, but can be prevented with vaccination.
People who have not been vaccinated against the virus can get sick if they breathe contaminated air or touch surfaces that have been touched by someone infected with measles. Studies have shown that it can remain in areas where someone sneezes or coughs for about 1 to 2 hours.
According to the CDC, infected people can spread measles about four days before and four days after the virus' trademark rash appears.
Measles usually begins with a mild to moderate fever, runny nose, cough, and red, watery eyes. Some people have stomach problems.
This disease can be especially difficult for infants and young children.
Most people in the United States receive two consecutive measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccinations during childhood. Regarding the prevention of disease after exposure, the vaccine is considered to be more than 95% effective after one dose, and 97% effective after the second dose.
“CDC continues to recommend safe and effective MMR vaccination as part of the routine immunization schedule for all children and adults, with special guidance against international travel,” the agency said in a statement Monday. . “We will continue to provide updates as further information becomes available.”
The Chicago Health Department said it is also working with public health administrators at the Cook County Health Department, Rush University Medical Center and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The Chicago Department of Health said health care workers tested nearly all of the shelter's residents over the weekend and vaccinated more than 900 of them.
The health department said more than 700 residents had been found to have been vaccinated or had immunity to infectious diseases and were allowed to enter. Anyone who is unvaccinated or recently vaccinated by the city must quarantine for 21 days and monitor for symptoms.
The Cook County Health Department provides health screenings to all new arrivals who go through the city's intake process.of The health system said it has treated 27,057 patients and provided all essential vaccines, including the MMR vaccine. The ministry said on Monday it had administered more than 73,400 vaccinations to newly arrived patients to prevent diseases such as measles, influenza, coronavirus and chickenpox.
Officials said in May they expected an influx of migrants as Title 42, the Trump administration-era pandemic public health order aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus, expires. The policy has become an important tool used by authorities to turn back migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, then CDC director, said at the time that communities may need to be aware of the possibility of infectious disease.
As in past situations, health care providers need to be aware that “unvaccinated people may be settling in the area and need to be aware of the threat of infectious disease,” she said. said.
Measles is considered an eradicated disease It originated in the United States in 2000, but cases have been reported across the country. An outbreak in Florida last month included multiple cases linked to elementary school children.
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As of March 7, 45 cases have been reported in 17 jurisdictions nationwide this year, according to the CDC. In all of last year, there were 58 cases in the United States.
According to the CDC's 2023 report, about 92% of U.S. children have received the MMR vaccine by age 2, below the federal goal of 95%.
The percentage of kindergarteners who received the state-mandated measles vaccine also remained below federal targets for the 2022-23 school year, according to CDC data. And vaccine exemption rates for children have reached the highest levels ever reported in the United States.
According to the CDC, children need two doses of the MMR vaccine. The first time is between 12 and 15 months old, and the second time is between 4 and 6 years old.
Before the national measles vaccination program began, approximately 3 million to 4 million people were infected with the measles virus and approximately 400 to 500 died each year.
CNN’s Amanda Musa, Jennifer Feldman and Khama Hassan contributed to this report.
