Chicago aldermen speak on city’s response to recent measles cases
CHICAGO — The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is on the ground in Chicago in response to the small but growing number of measles cases stemming from residents at a city-run migrant shelter.
Critics are now saying the city should have ensured migrant’s vaccination status before allowing them to freely move through public areas.
“I think the CDC’s visit is way overdue. I think it’s important the federal government understands local government is not prepared to take on the federal job especially, with the number of new residents we have,” Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) said.
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Eight infections have been confirmed across the city in the last week, with seven of the cases confirmed in individuals staying at the shelter.
The City of Chicago does not require migrants to be vaccinated when they arrive here and Sigcho-Lopez said there has been some hesitation.
“They wanted some public health expert to tell them it’s safe. That should have been done at the border, at the landing zone. It’s harder to do at the shelter, we’re still doing it,” Sigcho-Lopez said.
According to Sigcho-Lopez, vaccines at the landing zone just started last week.
The city said it is now going floor to floor at the Pilsen shelter, offering measles vaccinations. Sigcho-Lopez said they have reached 97% compliance.
Measles symptoms don’t appear until 10-12 days after exposure, so more cases are expected to pop up.
3 more measles cases confirmed at Chicago migrant shelter
“We’ve been warning about this for the past three and a half months. Every time we’ve tried to bring it up with the administration we’re told ‘That’s not our policy, it’s voluntary, we have to respect their human dignity to choose for themselves,’ and now we have little epidemics popping up in the entire City of Chicago,” Alderman Raymond Lopez (15th Ward) said.
Lopez said he would also like to see migrant children who attend Chicago Public Schools vaccinated.
“The fact the CDC is here should tell you a lot,” Lopez said.” Someone should have stepped in sooner and not pretended this was all going to magically take care of itself because, clearly, it’s not.”
Infection timeline
First infection – March 7
On Thursday, March 7, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported the first measles case in a Chicago resident since 2019.
Officials said the infected resident had not recently traveled outside of Chicago but had reportedly interacted with domestic and international travelers.
The CDPH offered a warning about potential exposure to individuals who may have been at the following locations on Tuesday, Feb. 27,
Swedish Hospital, Galter Medical Pavilion at 5140 North California Avenue in Chicago between 8:30 a.m. and 12 p.m.
CTA Bus #92 (Foster) between 9:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Second infection – March 8
On Friday, March 8, the CDPH confirmed a measles case in a resident staying at the Pilsen migrant shelter.
The infected individual was identified as a young child who has already recovered and is no longer infectious.
Third infection – March 10
A third infection was confirmed in another resident staying at the Pilsen migrant shelter on Sunday, March 10.
The second case was also confirmed in a young child, who was admitted to the hospital in good condition on Sunday.
Fourth & fifth Infections – March 11
On Monday the CDPH said two more cases had been confirmed at the Pilsen migrant shelter.
Both cases were confirmed in adults and as of Monday, both individuals were in stable condition.
Sixth, Seventh & eighth infections – March 12
The total number of Chicagoans who have contracted measles climbed to eight on Tuesday after the CDPH confirmed three more cases at the migrant shelter in Pilsen.
City officials did not confirm the ages of those infected.
Gabriel Castillo contributed to this report.
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