Indiana resident with measles visited 3 Chicago hospitals while contagious: health officials
Indiana resident with measles visited 3 Chicago hospitals while contagious, health officials warn
The Chicago Department of Public Health is warning the public about an Indiana resident with the measles who went to three Chicago hospitals earlier this month while they were contagious. Officials are working to notify anyone who may have been exposed.
CHICAGO - A northwest Indiana resident with the measles visited three Chicago hospitals while still contagious earlier this month.
On Friday, the Chicago Dept. of Public Health issued a warning about potential exposure.
The resident sought medical care on Feb. 11-16 at the three hospitals, which haven't been named, according to health officials. Now, they're working to notify anyone who may be at risk of contracting the disease.
Measles are "exceedingly rare in Chicago" due to many people being vaccinated during childhood, health officials say.
However, if contracted, it is very contagious and can be dangerous to people who are not vaccinated, especially children and babies.
"The MMR vaccine is 97% effective at stopping transmission of measles and has enabled us to live in a time when seeing cases of measles at all is a rarity," said CDPH Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo Ige, MD, MPH. "It is never too late to get vaccinated against this virus, not only to protect yourself but also to protect those around you who may be unable or too young to be vaccinated themselves."
This is the first measles case reported in Indiana since 2019, according to health officials.
To learn more about the disease, or how to best protect yourself, follow this link to the CDC's website.