A team of health experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention arrived in Chicago as officials Tuesday. Three new measles cases confirmed The outbreak comes amid a resurgence of infections at a migrant shelter in the city’s Pilsen district.
To date, there have been seven confirmed cases at the Halstead Street shelter. In addition to the three cases identified today, there are two infants, one who has recovered, One person is hospitalized in good condition. As of March 10th, according to some information, Announced on Monday, March 11thtwo adults reported to be in good health.
The seven cases come just days after the city’s health department announced a measles case in a Chicago resident with no recent travel outside the city and no reported connection to the shelter. Case, Announced on March 7thThis is the first measles case confirmed in the city since 2019, officials noted. It remains unclear how the resident contracted the highly contagious virus, but the health department noted that the person had been in contact with domestic and international travelers. The person is recovering well at his home and the infectious period ended on March 6.
Measles cases in evacuation centers led to a large-scale response, and health officials strongly encouraged vaccination. The city’s health department said Monday that with the help of other local health officials and health care providers, it “successfully administered the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to more than 900 shelter residents.” reported. Newly vaccinated shelter residents will remain in the shelter for 21 days until immunity from the vaccine is fully effective. Meanwhile, more than 700 shelter residents whose tests showed they already had immunity to measles through prior vaccination or infection were allowed to come and go freely.
In a statement Monday, city health commissioner Olusimbo “Simbo” Ige called the response a “massive operation.” He thanked medical partners and shelter residents who “understood the need for vaccination and isolation. … Vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles.” “New arrivals and all Chicago residents should receive the MMR vaccine if they have not already received it.” Already. ”
Comparison with Florida
The City of Chicago’s aggressive response, full vaccination drive, and collaboration with the CDC stands in contrast to the approach taken by the Florida Department of Health in response to recent measles outbreaks. The outbreak began last month at an elementary school in Broward County, where vaccination rates were reported to be below the 95 percent goal. Until now, Mr. Broward has 9 cases of measles reported, it’s all in the kids. But the health department has not released data on whether or how all nine cases are linked to schools, nor has it reported the vaccination status of those cases.
During the initial response, the Florida Department of Health, contrary to CDC guidance, did not keep unvaccinated children home during the period of potential infection following exposure to the highly contagious virus.in Letter dated February 20th to parents of elementary school students.Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, known for spreading anti-vaccination rhetoric and vaccine misinformation, said the health department would leave it up to parents to decide whether their children should attend school. told.
