CHICAGO — The heads of the Illinois and Chicago health departments are taking a victory lap on their response to the ongoing measles outbreak.
“The response has been swift and although more work needs to be done, it’s continuing to show effectiveness,” Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said.
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo Ige said it is a success story.
Nationwide, measles cases already are about double the total for all of last year.
Illinois has the most of any state with 54. There are cases reported in Cook, DuPage, Will and Lake counties.
Many are connected to the outbreak at the migrant shelter in Pilsen, where public health officials say efforts to get people up to date on their vaccines are going well.
“We have touched every shelter, got 100% of people who were exposed at the shelters vaccinated, and already got second doses started,” Ige said.
Since CDPH began giving vaccine doses at the landing zone a month ago, Ige said not one person has declined to receive it.
“We have rapidly increased the number of vaccinated people so that gives us a level of confidence,” Ige said.
It’s confidence as we head into the summer, which last year proved to be the peak for asylum seekers arriving in Chicago, as many as 2,000 per week.
Public health officials said they are ready for that possibility this year.
“We are putting infrastructure in place to handle the surge should it occur,” Ige said.
“We know we have to continue to be strong and vigilant,” Vohra said.
Infection timeline
First infection – March 7
On Thursday, March 7, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported the first measles case in a Chicago resident since 2019.
Officials said the infected resident had not recently traveled outside of Chicago but had reportedly interacted with domestic and international travelers.
The CDPH offered a warning about potential exposure to individuals who may have been at the following locations on Tuesday, Feb. 27,
- Swedish Hospital, Galter Medical Pavilion at 5140 North California Avenue in Chicago between 8:30 a.m. and 12 p.m.
- CTA Bus #92 (Foster) between 9:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Second infection – March 8
On Friday, March 8, the CDPH confirmed a measles case in a resident staying at the Pilsen migrant shelter.
The infected individual was identified as a young child who has already recovered and is no longer infectious.
Third infection – March 10
A third infection was confirmed in another resident staying at the Pilsen migrant shelter on Sunday, March 10.
The second case was also confirmed in a young child, who was admitted to the hospital in good condition on Sunday.
Fourth & fifth Infections – March 11
On Monday the CDPH said two more cases had been confirmed at the Pilsen migrant shelter.
Both cases were confirmed in adults and as of Monday, both individuals were in stable condition.
Sixth, Seventh & eighth infections – March 12
The total number of Chicagoans who have contracted measles climbed to eight on Tuesday after the CDPH confirmed three more cases at the migrant shelter in Pilsen.
City officials did not confirm the ages of those infected.
Gabriel Castillo contributed to this report.
Am I protected against measles?
Measles, which is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus, can spread easily when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Many in the United States are already protected.
The CDC said the measles vaccine, which has been used for over 50 years, is considered to be very effective. Two doses of the vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles if exposed to the virus, and one dose is about 93% effective.
According to the CDC, 45 measles cases have been reported across the United States since January 1. In 2023 a total of 58 cases were reported across the U.S.
Those who received the vaccine are usually fully protected for life after about two or three weeks, according to the CDC.
While the vaccine has historically proven to be highly effective, the CDC said about three out of 100 who get the vaccine will still have measles if exposed.
For more information on how to get vaccinated, call Cook County Health at 833-308-1988.
Gabriel Castillo contributed to this report
Jenna Barnes
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