Measles is back in 2 states (IL and WI) — what to know before the next outbreak

[Kamaji]

Measles is back in 2 states — what to know before the next outbreak

By Marc Lallanilla
Published Oct. 17, 2023

Measles — a deadly scourge of children before a vaccine was invented in 1963 — is back.

Health officials in Wisconsin and Illinois are warning the public that one case has been reported in each state.

The Illinois case was discovered in Cook County, the state’s most populated county, which includes Chicago. In neighboring Wisconsin, measles was reported in a Milwaukee resident who works in suburban Waukesha County.

As a result, public health experts are now struggling to track down people who may have been exposed to the infectious disease.

The Illinois case occurred in a resident who was unvaccinated and had been exposed to measles during international travel, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).

“This first reported case of measles in Illinois since 2019 is a reminder that this disease can be prevented with up-to-date vaccination,” IDPH director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a news release.

“However, as we saw this week, it still can affect those who are unvaccinated. I urge everyone to make sure they and their family members are up to date on measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine and all other age-appropriate immunizations,” he added.

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Source:  https://nypost.com/2023/10/17/measles-cases-reported-in-illinois-wisconsin-what-to-know/

[PeteS in CA]

I'm guessing it might track back to a tourist that flew into Chicago and either the carrier or the person infected in Milwaukee hopped the Interstate between the two cities.

[Hoodat]

Unlike Covid, there's an actual vaccine for measles.