What we know (and don't) about Chicago's measles outbreak
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
C hicago health officials Thursday reported two more cases of measles at a Pilsen migrant shelter, bringing the city's total to 12 so far.
Why it matters: The outbreak is raising questions about how the city manages migrant health care and vaccinations, and stoking fears that it could stigmatize new arrivals.
The big picture: The highly contagious disease is spreading in the city amid a national measles outbreak . Chicago health commissioner Simbo Ige says the city's first measles case this year didn't come from the shelter.
- "The first case of measles in Chicago was a non-shelter resident," she says. "And those who got infected got infected because measles was circulating in Chicago."
Catch up quick: Last week, health officials identified cases of measles at a Pilsen shelter, where 900 residents — roughly half of the people staying there — weren't immunized against the disease. Newly vaccinated shelter residents are currently being quarantined.
- Two of the people infected are CPS students. The district confirmed the students attend Cooper Dual Language Academy in Pilsen and Armour Elementary School in Bridgeport.
- School-aged Pilsen shelter residents have been advised to stay out of school until the vaccination status of all fellow residents has been resolved.
- Over this week, every eligible Pilsen shelter resident has consented and received an MMR vaccination, Ige says. Officials are also now administering them to new arrivals at the landing zone.
How it works: Cook County Health conducts urgent medical screenings when migrants initially arrive, but they have up to 90 days to perform comprehensive medical screenings including vaccination checks, Ige said during a Facebook livestream Wednesday .
- Students living in temporary living situations (STLS) are not required to show proof of immunization to attend school, per the federal McKinney-Vento Act .
- Even non-STLS students are often allowed to attend school while they get their state-mandated documentation in order, CPS officials tell Axios.
What we don't know: If the city had administered comprehensive screenings to the 900 unvaccinated migrants prior to the outbreak
- How many Chicagoans, and CPS students, are currently vaccinated against measles.
- How, if at all, the 900 newly vaccinated shelter residents under quarantine will be affected by the city's 60-day shelter stay policy
The bottom line: Ige stresses that everyone who has gotten their MMR vaccination, even as a child, should be protected from measles.
Yes, but: Anyone who is not immune (either through previous infection or vaccination) could be at risk if they enter a space occupied by an infected person, even two hours later.
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The US once eradicated measles.
Thanks to a strong childhood vaccination program, measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000.
Measles in the United States — March 2024 | CDC
In the city of Chicago, the highly contagious disease is making a comeback and the center for the outbreak is a migrant shelter. Another thing that an open border means is no vetting or vaxing.
Sounds like you're blaming immigrants/migrants for this outbreak when it's the fault of whackjobs/morons/idiots/anti-vaxxers.
'THE FIRST CASE OF MEASLES IN CHICAGO WAS A NON-SHELTER RESIDENT AND THOSE WHO GOT INFECTED GOT INFECTED BECAUSE MEASLES WAS CIRCULATING IN CHICAGO' SO THIS IS THE FAULT OF ANTI-VAXXERS NOT AN ALLEGED OPEN BORDER
Identify the non-shelter resident.
Where’s all the left wing hysteria over this? Seems like just yesterday there was a smaller outbreak somewhere else that hysterical pronouncements and denunciations of local government
They are already blaming "anti-vaxers."
Yes, and logically so.
When we have a disease under control because we have reached a herd-immunity level of vaccination, then the level of vaccination drops and the disease starts to show up in the population, it makes sense to look for reasons that the level of immunization has dropped. Anti-vaxxers are one of those reasons, and arguably have gained popularity since the pandemic.
It is all the fault of the anti-vaxxers, It's insanity. Thanks to those whackjobs, I bet we see diseases that have been eradicated, come back with a vengeance, thanks to those idiots.
I see. It has zero to do with the migrants Joe welcomed in / S
If you read the article you would know that the outbreak began in a migrant shelter.
Except in the case here of measles, all 50 stated and the District of Columba require the MMR vaccine for all school-enrolled children from kindergarten thru 12th grade. The only exception is Iowa which only requires measles & rubella vaccines.
The thing a lot of people tend to forget is that even having received a vaccination for a disease does not guarantee full immunity from that disease. But it's so much easier to follow the partisan group-think to find someone to blame.
MMR (Measles-Mumps-Rubella) Vaccine Requirements for Childcare and School (Kg–Gr 12) | Immunize.org
If you read your own article - it stated it was a non migrant non shelter resident
I know it does, but it only identifies that individual as a resident. When people at a migrant shelter have it, the question needs to be: were they ever vaccinated?
You can get a medical or religious exemption in most states. It is amazing how many converts happen right around time to put the kids in school.
No, they were the initial vector most likely.
Sure they can, but the majority of children do get the required vaccinations.
Vaccination Coverage by Age 24 Months Among Children Born During 2018–2019 — National Immunization Survey–Child, United States, 2019–2021 | MMWR (cdc.gov)
It's just one thing after another, it seems, so of course it's necessary to find someone else to blame.
There are sources of these things that need to take blame.
Yes you do.
Kind of reminds me of that speech from the movie The American President where he's talking about how you win elections. Gather a group of middle-aged, middle-class, middle-income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family and American values and character. Then wave an old photo of the President's girlfriend and scream about patriotism and you tell them she's to blame for their lot in life.
It's always so easy to find someone to blame for issues rather than actually just find and fix the underlying cause.
Watched the movie a couple of times a long time ago - enjoyed it . It was a good romantic comedy. I can't remember what anti-Government demonstration event a younger Annette Bening character was doing in the photo that made Richard Dreyfus character sing or whistle "It's beginning to look like a lot like Christmas". Can you remember what is was?
Yeah, the photo was of Annette Benning helping to burn an American Flag. Don't fully remember, I think the protest was against the Vietnam War but not 100% sure on that. Would have to rewatch the movie to be sure but I am sure that the picture is of her holding a burning American Flag.
If it wasn't that, then it was something very very similar. I can remember a lot of things, and even quotes from that movie (I retain a lot of details from movies I've watched, which does help me in preparing quizzes).
Love in the Time of Measles
People hang around outside of a migrant shelter Wednesday, March 13, 2024, in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. On Friday, Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration announced it will proceed with evicting those who have been in a shelter for 60 days except for migrant families with children and those who've been affected by a measles outbreak. Erin Hooley / Associated Press