Health authorities in Cook County are waving red flags about potential measles exposures connected to a couple of local medical centers. The Cook County Health Department raised alarms Monday after tying two recent measles cases to the five confirmed by the Chicago Department of Public Health. In a statement obtained by NBC Chicago, officials detailed how one individual trotted into Stroger Hospital back on February 27 with measles-esque symptoms, later confirmed via a positive PCR test. Another patient ping-ponged to the Arlington Heights Health Center and the Cook County Health Professional Building on March 7 and subsequently tested positive for the virus.
This uptick in cases triggered Cook County Health to urge anyone who might've crossed paths with these facilities during the exposure risk window to get on the horn with the Chicago Health Department at 312-743-7216. They want the public to stay sharp, reminding them that measles, a respiratory illness that compromises the immune system – especially in young children, is avoidable with a proper two-dose vaccine. Yet, as the cases pile up, with four linked to the city's largest shelter for migrants as reported by the Chicago Tribune, healthcare providers are doubling down on efforts to contain the spread.
The Chicago Department of Public Health has been busy, recently revealing two more individuals at the churned-up migrant shelter fell prey to the measles virus, bringing the shelter's total up to a worrisome four. To tackle the outbreak head-on, the health department also vaccinated over 900 shelter dwellers and sent more than 700 of the deemed immune populace on their merry way. Those who got the vaccine need to cool their heels at the shelter for a precautionary 21 days – the time needed to reach immunity.
Citing CDC recommendations, officials reiterated the childhood immunization schedule, and for the grown-ups who've missed the vaccine boat, it's not too late to hop on. Symptoms like high fever and rash hit the stage usually within a fortnight after exposure. Kids under five, adults over twenty, and pregnant women should keep a particularly keen eye out due to higher risks of complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis, according to authority warnings.
