Health officials warn about possible exposure to measles at Chicago's Midway Airport

1st March 2019, 15:57 GMT

By Ben Kesslen

A measles passenger who has crossed a Chicago Midway International Airport may have exposed others, health officials said.

On February 22, an Illinois resident with measles was on a flight to Midway, Chicago's second busiest airport. Officials said the passenger was "unvaccinated and infectious" in Midway and had requested emergency treatment at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital two days after the flight.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced that those who would be traveling to Midway on February 22 between 9 pm and midnight are at risk of exposure, but travelers who have been routinely vaccinated in their childhood are not "high risk".

The IDPH is "very concerned" by the people of Midway who have not been vaccinated.

"People who think they have been exposed should inform their health care provider of the protection to be taken through prior vaccination or the need for a vaccination," he said. said the IDPH in a statement.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the IDPH, said that although the disease is highly contagious, two doses of vaccine were "about 97% effective in preventing measles."

"We urge everyone to ensure that measles / mumps / rubella (MMR) and all other age-appropriate vaccines, and those of other family members, are up to date, especially if you are go to other countries where measles is regularly detected. Ezike said.

Measles cases are increasing in the United States, a problem exacerbated by the proliferation of conspiracies and misinformation disseminated online about the vaccine.

The CDC has already confirmed 159 measles cases in 2019, many in the Pacific Northwest, where more than 40% of cases occurred. On Wednesday, congressional lawmakers held a hearing on the growing epidemic.