There have been 23 confirmed cases of measles in Illinois this year, according to health officials, who urged residents on Friday to receive vaccination against the highly contagious disease.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported that 16 of these cases stemmed from an outbreak in Douglas and Moultrie counties in eastern Illinois, affecting individuals who were either unvaccinated or whose vaccination history was unknown. Additional cases unrelated to this outbreak were identified in Kane and Madison counties.
“Measles is a highly contagious disease that can easily be spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or through direct contact with nose or throat secretions from an infected individual. Although measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, it has experienced a resurgence in recent years due to a drop in national immunization rates,” the IDPH stated in a press release.
Chicago Union Station, two hotels in Chicago, and a restaurant in Edwardsville appear on a list of exposure locations maintained on the IDPH website, which also specifies the dates during which potentially exposed individuals should monitor themselves for symptoms. The exposure incidents with active monitoring periods still in effect occurred between Sept. 10 and Sept. 13.
“The key to preventing measles is the highly effective measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, two doses of which are 97% effective in preventing measles. While Illinois is fortunate to have high vaccination rates overall, there are still areas across the state with lower vaccination rates where people are at high risk,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “IDPH continues to work closely with local health departments to offer vaccination opportunities and develop strategies to minimize spread. To keep yourself and your loved ones safe, confirm you are up to date on the MMR vaccine and all other age-appropriate immunizations.”
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