The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have sent a team to Chicago to assist in containing the measles epidemic, as the number of cases of measles at a migrant shelter there increased to four on Monday.
Two individuals at the shelter have been diagnosed, according to a Monday report from the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), and their conditions are stable. This came after news broke on Sunday that a school-age child at the Pilsen migrant shelter had contracted the measles and needed to be hospitalized, but that the child was doing well. A very small child who contracted measles in the shelter in the beginning has since healed and is no longer contagious.
On Monday, the CDPH announced that it had “vaccinated over 900 residents of the Pilsen shelter with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and assessed nearly all residents of the shelter, where there have been four confirmed cases of measles.” More than 700 shelter occupants were permitted to come and go after an evaluation determined they were already resistant to any prior infections or vaccinations. Newly inoculated individuals were told to stay at the shelter for 21 days following their immunization date, as this is when full immunity is granted by the vaccine.”
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Cases Of Measles
CDPH Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo (Simbo) Ige stated in an agency news release that “we will continue to take a proactive approach to protecting as many people as we can from this highly infectious disease as long as measles circulates in Chicago.” “Vaccination is still by far the most efficient method of stopping the measles from spreading. If they haven’t already, all Chicagoans and new arrivals should receive the MMR vaccination. Crucially, the CDC states that an MMR vaccination given within 72 hours of exposure to the measles can prevent infection in an unvaccinated individual who hasn’t shown any symptoms. Within six days of exposure, immune globulin, a preventative injection, can also be administered.
Cases Of Measles
Attending Philip D. Armour Elementary School is the child who was diagnosed on Sunday. The Department of Health recommended school-aged shelter residents not attend school on Friday or Monday. In a statement to families on Monday, Pedro Martinez, CEO of Chicago Public Schools (CPS), stated, “Students with confirmed vaccinations will be notified of the date to return to school once a student’s vaccination status has been verified.”
Cases Of Measles
The first measles case of the year in Chicago was only revealed last Thursday, and it doesn’t seem to be connected to the other four cases. As of last Wednesday, the resident was not contagious, according to NBC News. A group of specialists is scheduled to arrive in Chicago on Tuesday to assist with efforts to restrict the disease’s spread, the CDC told the news site. The number of cases of measles has increased recently throughout the world, and this year there have been at least 45 cases reported in the US. Throughout 2023, there were just 58 measles cases.
Cases Of Measles
What caused the rise? Across the country, school vaccination rates have decreased. According to NBC News, the percentage of kindergarten students in the United States who received both doses of the MMR vaccine was 93% in the 2022–2023 school year, a decrease from 94% in the 2020–2021 year. To exacerbate the situation, measles is extremely contagious. Infected individuals can remain contagious for around eight days, and if those people aren’t immune, they can infect about 90% of others who are exposed to them.
Cases Of Measles
Pink eye, runny nose, cough, and high fever are some of the symptoms of measles. Tiny white spots in the mouth are typically noticed two to three days after symptoms begin. The CDC states that a blotchy rash typically appears from head to toe between days three and five. Roughly 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 children infected with measles die from respiratory and neurological complications. In rare cases, measles can lead to blindness or long-term vision problems.
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