CDC team participates in response to 7 measles cases at Chicago migrant shelter

Chicago — Seven people living in a Chicago migrant shelter have tested positive. measles Since last week, it has prompted the arrival of a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to guide city and state officials' response to the epidemic, including vaccination efforts.

A total of eight cases have been reported in the city since Thursday, and the Chicago Department of Public Health announced it was the first time measles had been detected locally since 2019. The first infected person (an adult) was not a resident of the shelter.

According to the CDC, measles is a contagious virus that remains widespread in many countries outside the United States, and cases in the United States have come from international travelers, most of whom are unvaccinated Americans. That's what it means.

The city announced Friday the first case at the evacuation center, which houses about 1,900 people. Other cases at the former warehouse in the city's Pilsen district soon followed, three of them confirmed on Tuesday.

According to the ministry, the infected people include four children and three adults.Approximately 900 residents received vaccine since Thursday night, officials said.

Measles vaccination is not recommended during pregnancy or for children under 1 year of age.

Dr. Olusinbo Ige, the city's director of public health, said on Wednesday: “We have not seen any new cases of people coming into the country infected with measles.” “Measles cases have occurred here, so we take our responsibility to protect the health of our new arrivals seriously and have worked very diligently.”

The cluster inside the city-run shelter comes as the city of Chicago prepares to accommodate the arrival of about 37,000 migrants since 2022, when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began sending buses to so-called sanctuary cities. It highlighted a multi-layered struggle.

The city of Chicago initially used police stations and the airport as authorities looked for other temporary shelters. On Tuesday, the city's dashboard showed more than 11,000 people remained in city-run shelters.

Providing medical care is also part of this effort. From vaccinations to treating symptoms developed during the exhausting journey to reach the Mexican border.

Many of the immigrants who land in Chicago are Venezuela Social, political and economic crises have pushed millions of people into poverty. Situations associated with shortages of doctors and medicines are impacting the availability and affordability of routine care, as well as trust in healthcare institutions. Venezuela reports one of the lowest child vaccination rates in the world.

Cook County officials opened a clinic in 2022 that will provide a gateway to urgent care, vaccinations and other public health services.

Cook County Health Department spokesperson Alex Normington said health care providers are providing all essential vaccinations, including vaccinations for measles, influenza, COVID-19 and other viruses. He said that more than 73,000 cases have been carried out.

Normington said health care providers are rotating through all of the city's shelters and have expanded their response hours due to measles cases.

But volunteer organizations working with migrants have been assessing the situation inside the city's shelters, particularly after the death in December of a five-year-old boy who became ill while staying in the same shelter where measles cases had been reported. He has been frequently criticized.

They argue that these cases are the result of the failure of city, county, state and federal governments to support the health needs of new arrivals.

“This is not the fault of new arrivals. This is a public health emergency that has been in the works for a long time,” volunteer Annie Gomberg said in a statement. “Everyone who arrives here… “You should get tested and get vaccinated, just like we did last time.” “Ellis Island over 100 years ago. They didn't have to suffer in an overcrowded shelter.”

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Associated Press writer Sophia Tareen in Chicago and medical writer Mike Stobbe in New York contributed.