Excerpts from Fox32chicago.com:

Health authorities at the local, state, and federal levels are working in conjunction to manage the recent measles outbreak in Chicago as two new cases were announced on Thursday, bringing the total to 12 — six adults and six children. All but two cases were linked to the migrant shelter in Pilsen.

Illinois is among 17 states currently grappling with measles outbreaks. Experts say it’s due to declining vaccination rates and global migration.

Measles, a highly contagious respiratory infection, can linger in the air for up to two hours, with symptoms potentially appearing days after exposure. Health experts emphasize that the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine – required for school-age children in many states, including Illinois – offers the best protection against the virus.

Pregnant women and babies younger than 12 months should not receive the vaccine; however, those groups are also at highest risk of complications if they were to contract measles.

As cases rise, health experts and local officials say the general public shouldn’t panic. Still, doctors warn that additional measles cases should be expected.

Two of the city’s 12 cases are unrelated to the Halsted Street shelter in Pilsen. There, ten migrants have now contracted measles, and at least two of the children with measles attend Chicago Public Schools. One attends Philip D. Armour Elementary School in Bridgeport, and another is a student at Cooper Dual Language Elementary Academy near 19th and Paulina streets.

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