In a follow-up to a report on a measles cluster in suburban Chicago several days ago, Cook County Public Health reports an additional three confirmed cases, bringing the total to eight.
These cases include two adults and six infants all of whom are unvaccinated. Seven of these cases are associated with the KinderCare Learning Center in Palatine, health officials note.
On Feb. 5, the Palatine KinderCare Center, where the majority of cases are linked, described the steps they are taking to prevent the spread of measles, these include: excluding unimmunized children and staff who may have been exposed to measles from our center for 21 days; better cleaning of the facilities; being vigilant about enforcing the policy of excluding children from care who are sick and limiting access to the infant room to only parents or other adults dropping off or picking up an infant.
Related: Measles outbreak up to 121 cases nationwide
Measles is highly contagious, infecting 9 out of 10 people who are exposed if unvaccinated. Symptoms can be confused initially with the common cold because it typically starts with a low-grade fever with a cough and runny nose and then it produces a spreading rash and itchy red eyes. Infected people are contagious from approximately 4 days before their rash starts to 4 days after.
My question, that has yet to be answered amidst the media hype, is this: At least 3 of these cases have been LAB CONFIRMED, so why is there no information on the measles strain genotype? I suspect at least one of those infected in the Cook County daycare has a school-aged/recently vaccinated child in the home…and the 2 “unvaccinated adults”–are they NEVER BEEN VACCINATED, or just not up-to-date on the MMR vaccine?
For everyone scurrying to get the MMR, amidst the fear-mongering media and government officials, please keep in mind that immunocompromised patients are specifically advised to avoid those recently vaccinated with live virus vaccines, I.e. MMR, chickenpox, shingles, nasal flu, yellow fever..