Chicago’s Measles Outbreak Officially Over
Chicago has successfully eliminated its measles outbreak, which began nearly three months ago with cases detected at migrant shelters. The city and surrounding area had the highest number of measles cases in the country this year, with a total of 64 cases recorded in Chicago alone. Illinois reported only five cases in 2023, the first since 2019.
Public Health Commissioner Olusimbo Ige stated that the goal is to eliminate measles not just in Chicago but everywhere, and she encouraged Chicagoans to get vaccinated. Since the first reported case on March 7, over 30,000 vaccines have been administered, primarily to migrants in shelters. The most recent case was recorded on April 20, with most cases appearing in unvaccinated individuals, especially young children.
Despite the high vaccination rate in Chicago, the city became susceptible to measles due to a crowded migrant population in shelters and low vaccination rates in their home countries. Dr. Allison Bartlett, a University of Chicago professor and infectious disease specialist, noted that the shelter outbreak was a result of an initial case in an unvaccinated individual and a congregate living situation that made it easy to spread among incompletely vaccinated individuals.
After the outbreak began, the city health department started vaccinating migrants before placing them in shelters. Public health officials reported that the majority of new arrivals are already vaccinated or accept a vaccine. Measles symptoms generally appear 10 to 14 days after exposure and include fever, cough, runny nose, red or watery eyes