CHICAGO — A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention team is in Chicago to help manage the recent measles outbreak, an agency spokesperson said Tuesday.
CDC staff are working with the city’s and state’s health departments to identify potential exposures, possible transmission sources and immunity status of people who have been exposed. They’re providing “clinical guidance” on active measles cases and coordinating specimen lab testing.
The federal agency is also supplying vaccines to the city’s health department and other local jurisdictions to ensure they have enough for all who need it.
“CDC continues to recommend the safe and effective MMR vaccination as part of the routine immunizations schedule for all children and adults, with special guidance for international travel,” said CDC spokesperson Jason McDonald.
Five cases of measles have been reported in the city since last week, when the health department announced the first confirmed case in a Chicago resident.
Two adults with measles at a Pilsen shelter for migrants, 2241 S. Halsted St., have had their conditions stabilize, according to a health department news release. Two children at the Pilsen shelter were also found to have measles; the first child is no longer contagious and has recovered, and the second child is hospitalized and in good condition, officials said.
Before last week, measles cases had not been confirmed in Chicago since 2019.
The city and state health departments didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the CDC’s assistance. The Mayor’s Office also didn’t immediately respond to questions about whether the city asked for the CDC’s help.
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