With cases in Indiana, measles outbreak draws closer to Chicago
The latest measles outbreak is inching closer to Chicago, with six cases now confirmed in Indiana and the state's health department confirming they are connected.
Right now, there are no reported cases of measles in Illinois. But across the country, there are more than 600 confirmed cases.
For that reason, doctors and the Illinois Department of Public Health are urging people to get vaccinated. Even U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, is urging people to get the measles vaccine.
In Allen County, Indiana near Fort Wayne, three unvaccinated kids, and two adults with unknown vaccination statuses, are now part of a measles investigation. The Indiana Department of Health said the patients are all recovering from the highly contagious disease — which can lead to severe health problems.
"It can be quite similar to any other illness or virus, with fevers, and maybe some upper respiratory symptoms, and then subsequently the rash," said Dr. Alfredo Mena Lora, medical director of infection prevention at Chicago's St. Anthony Hospital.
Dr. Mena Lora said the measles vaccine is essential.
"I think the biggest information really, is what is your vaccination status — and that of those in your community or school?" he said.
This week, the Illinois Department of Public Health released a new dashboard showing the vaccination rate at each school in the state.
The department said with the dashboard, school officials can make decisions on outbreak, prevention, and control.
Dr. Mena Lora said such data could be beneficial to parents and communities in general.
"Absolutely," he said. "The most important information is, are you up-to-date with your vaccines? Are you vaccinated? That is the strongest level of protection that you can get."
Meanwhile, for the first time in an exclusive interview with CBS News, Secretary Kennedy said, "We encourage people to get the measles vaccine."
Before this, Kennedy had said the vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the virus from spreading — but he never previously urged people to get it.
"The federal government's position, my position, is people should get the measles vaccine — but the government should not be mandating," Kennedy told CBS News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook.
So far this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said two people have died from measles — both of them unvaccinated.
A total of 22 states have confirmed cases of the infection, with the largest outbreak in Texas.
Dr. Mena Lora said the good news is that 90% of the country is already vaccinated.
"It's two doses, and over 90% effective at the first dose — and much higher than that at the second dose," he said.
The last time someone died of measles in the U.S. was a decade ago.
Chicago saw its own measles outbreak just last year — affecting in particular the migrant shelter in operation at the time in Pilsen. Chicago had 64 confirmed measles cases in March and April 2024.
Public health officials confirmed Chicago's first case of measles since 2019 on March 7, 2024. The next day, the city saw its first measles case at the since-closed Pilsen migrant shelter at 2241 S. Halsted St.
A total of 57 migrants at the shelter ended up testing positive for measles during March and April last year. At the time, the Pilsen shelter was the city's largest shelter for asylum seekers, with approximately 1,900 migrants living there.
