The latest cases have been reported in Cincinnati and Chicago.
The Heritage Bank Center seats about 17,000 people, although it’s unclear how many attended the performance.
“While the individual with measles is not a Cincinnati resident, we must take swift action to ensure the safety of all attendees,” the health department said. “If you attended the show or were in the Heritage Bank Center up to two hours after the performance, you may have been exposed to measles. However, there is no cause for panic. Most individuals have received the MMR vaccine, which provides robust protection against measles.”
On March 14, Chicago city health officials reported 12 new cases of measles in the city, 10 of which were reported at an illegal immigrant shelter in the city’s Pilsen neighborhood. The city announced that a team from the CDC had arrived to support the city’s efforts to “curb spread of the highly infectious virus.”
Chicago Health Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo ‘Simbo’ Ige cited the importance of getting vaccinated against the highly contagious disease.
“I can’t stress this enough: vaccination, vaccination, vaccination. Vaccination is our shield against preventable diseases like measles, COVID-19, rubella, varicella, and flu,” he said it he city’s announcement. “I urge all Chicagoans, whether new arrivals or not, to get vaccinated. If you and your children are vaccinated, you are not at high risk. But if not, please take action now to protect yourselves and your community.”
On March 11, the Chicago Department of Public Health reported that a total of four cases had been confirmed and that 900 shelter residents had been vaccinated with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.
It was on March 7 that the Chicago Department of Public Health confirmed its first case of measles since 2019.
International Travel
The majority of the cases have been reported in those who recently traveled outside of the United States, particularly unvaccinated travelers, the CDC says.“If you plan to travel internationally, make sure you and your loved ones are protected against measles before departure, no matter where you are going,” the agency advised.
On March 13, the CDC issued a Level 1 travel advisory for 46 countries in response to a global outbreak of measles. Russia and Malaysia were added to the list of countries currently facing large measles outbreaks. However, the agency warns that the threat is not limited to the listed countries as the number of cases continues to rise globally.
On Jan. 13, the Virginia Department of Health confirmed one case of measles “in a person who had traveled through Northern Virginia when returning from international travel.”
On Jan. 18, the Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed a case of measles in an unvaccinated resident living in the metro Atlanta area who had been exposed to measles while traveling out of the country.
On Feb. 1, the Maryland Department of Health confirmed one case of measles in a Montgomery County resident who recently traveled internationally.
On Feb. 23, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services confirmed its first case of measles since 2019 in a child from Oakland County that was also associated with international travel.
