City Health Department Declares End of Measles Outbreak in Chicago

Eunice Alpasan | May 30, 2024, 2:58 pm

(WTTW News)

The recent measles outbreak in Chicago that primarily affected migrants living at a shelter in Pilsen is officially over, Chicago Department of Public Health officials said on Thursday.

The end of the outbreak comes after nearly six weeks, or two incubation periods, without any new measles cases, according to a news release. The last measles case was reported April 20.

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In total, 64 individuals tested positive for measles in the city, 57 of whom were in connection with a shelter setting for new arrivals, according to CDPH.

The first measles case in Chicago in five years was confirmed by health officials in early March. The peak of confirmed cases occurred later that month when 14 cases were reported in one day, according to CDPH’s measles dashboard.

City health officials, in collaboration with community groups and health care partners, administered over 30,000 doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine to contain the outbreak.

The public health response also involved symptom screenings for migrants, contact tracing and isolating those suspected of or confirmed with measles, officials said.

Although the outbreak in Chicago is over, local health officials warn that measles remains on the rise domestically and internationally.

“The MMR vaccine is safe and by far the most effective way to protect yourself and others from future measles outbreaks, especially as tourism and travel ramp up over the summer months,” said CDPH Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo Ige in a statement.

The measles cases reported in Chicago account for nearly half of reported cases in the U.S. so far this year. More than half of the measles cases in the city were in children ages 4 or younger.

Measles is a highly contagious, airborne respiratory infection that can lead to pneumonia and other serious complications. Symptoms include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red and watery eyes.

While measles cases are typically rare in Chicago due to high vaccination coverage from childhood, CDPH said, measles cases can be dangerous to those who are unvaccinated, especially babies and young children.

Screenshot of Chicago Department of Public Health's measles dashboard as of May 30, 2024. (CDPH)