The Chicago Department of Public Health confirmed two cases of measles this week, the first since 2019.
The first case was reported Thursday, and the health department confirmed Friday morning that a child in a Pilsen shelter for migrants had contracted the disease.
People who were at these locations on Feb. 27 may have been exposed and should call the health department at (312) 743-7216:
- 8:30 a.m.-noon at Swedish Hospital’s Galter Medical Pavilion
- 9:15-11:30 a.m. on CTA bus No. 92 (Foster)
Residents of the migrant shelter at 2241 S. Halsted St. are being evaluated to see if they are vaccinated against and immune to the disease. The health department began a case investigation to determine who the child may have come in contact with while contagious, and those at the shelter are advised to stay there until they are cleared by the department. Unvaccinated residents will be screened for symptoms and offered the vaccine.
Chicago Public Schools said the child was not of school age, and that the health department advised families at the shelter to not send children to school Friday.
In an email to parents Friday, CPS said school leaders would watch for students from the shelter and tell an accompanying adult that the child will not be able to participate in school Friday. A child who arrives alone will be isolated until they can be picked up.
CPS said the child is no longer infectious, and no student has tested positive for measles, nor are any children at the shelter exhibiting symptoms at this time.
The person with the first confirmed case was recovering well and their infectious disease period ended Wednesday, Block Club Chicago reported. The child at the shelter has also recovered and is no longer contagious, according to the health department.
The health department was investigating a case of measles in February of a northwest Indiana resident who was in Chicago. There were no additional exposures located in Chicago or Illinois, the health department said in a statement Feb. 23. The latest case does not appear to be linked to the Indiana one, the health department said.
“The key to preventing measles is vaccination. If you are not vaccinated, we strongly encourage you to get the vaccine,” said city Public Health Commissioner Olusimbo Ige. “If you are unsure whether you’ve been vaccinated, ask your healthcare provider to find out if you need an MMR [measles-mumps-rubella vaccine] . If your child is 1 year old or older, and has never received the MMR vaccine, contact your child’s pediatrician to discuss how your child can get caught up with their vaccines.”
Measles is a serious respiratory infection that causes a rash and high fever and is capable of leading to pneumonia and other complications. It’s rare in Chicago due to high vaccination rates, health officials say, but is highly contagious and can be dangerous to those who aren’t vaccinated, especially babies and young children.
Up to nine out of 10 people with close contact to someone with measles will develop measles, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus is transmitted by direct contact with infectious droplets or through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes.
Measles can be prevented with the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine. The vaccine is the best protection against measles for people of all ages, according to the health department.
Three new measles cases were reported in Michigan on Thursday. A total of 41 measles cases were reported in 16 states as of Feb. 29, according to the CDC. In 2023, the total for the year was 58 cases.
The case has no known connection to the Chicago measles outbreak at a migrant shelter, according to health officials.
By Mary Norkol
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Three cases were detected in the last week after the city recorded more than 50 in less than a month.
By Kade Heather
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The resident was exposed during their time at a migrant shelter. They have recovered and are no longer contagious, the Cook County Department of Public Health said.
The Chicago Department of Public Health would not reveal the number of TB cases or identify shelters. A health department spokesperson said, “I would not characterize this as an outbreak.”
Children ages 4 and younger account for 21 of the city’s total cases, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health. Officials say vaccination is the best way to prevent measles and stop its spread.
By Kade Heather
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Residents at the Pilsen migrant shelter should receive a second measles shot 28 days after their first one, the city’s Department of Public Health advised.
The city began evicting migrants from its 23 shelters, affecting potentially 2,000 people by the end of April. Alderpersons are calling for a halt and greater transparency.
By Michael Loria
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The newest cases were both in children 4 years or younger, the same age group that has accounted for more than half of the city’s cases.
By Kade Heather
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Dozens of adults were expected to be evicted Sunday, amid an outbreak of measles, but just three were. They will be able to reapply for shelter at the city’s designated ‘landing zone.’
By Michael Loria
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Beginning with 35 individuals Sunday, more than 2,000 people will be evicted by the end of April, the city announced Friday. Families will get a break until the end of the school year.
An untold number of migrants are expected to have to leave shelters Saturday, and what comes next is a mystery to many — perhaps “la calle,” one man said, gesturing toward Halsted Street.
By Michael Loria
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Earlier this week, Chicago Public Schools learned of a positive measles case involving a student at Philip D. Armour Elementary School, and the Chicago Department of Public Health confirmed another case at Cooper Dual Language Elementary Academy.
By Mohammad Samra
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Illinois is one of 17 states in which dozens of measles cases have been reported this year, including eight cases in a Chicago migrant shelter.
Chicago’s mayor said the 60-day limit on shelter stays would, after previous delays, finally be enforced Saturday, impacting potentially thousands. There would, however, continue to be exemptions.
The Illinois Health Department said Tuesday it would mobilize resources to help Chicago and Cook County contain the spread of the virus.
The newest cases were both in adults at the shelter. The city’s total number of cases is up to five, the city health department says. More than 900 residents of the shelter were vaccinated over the weekend and are being quarantined for 21 days.
By Violet Miller
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The city health agency is currently screening other residents of the shelter at 2241 S. Halsted St. and those who may have come in contact with the children while they were contagious, officials said in a Sunday news release.
By Violet Miller
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Dozens gathered Saturday in Pritzker Park to protest Mayor Brandon Johnson’s long-delayed plan to evict migrants living in shelters longer than 60 days. The order will go into effect March 16.
By Erica Thompson
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Chicago health department officials said the patient has recovered and is no longer contagious. The shelter is on lockdown until residents are vaccinated, officials said.
By Michael Loria
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Measles is a highly transmissible respiratory disease that can be prevented through the MMR vaccine.
None of the 23 measles cases in the U.S. between Dec. 1 and Jan. 23 were in Illinois. But the first measles cases since 2019 were reported in Cook County last year, and Illinois has seen an alarming uptick in the number of schools with low vaccination rates.
The person, who was exposed to the virus in another country, was unvaccinated, the IDPH said.
By Kade Heather
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