The Daily Mail has raised concerns about the potential for a “major measles outbreak” in the U.S., citing the number of cases reported in the first two months of the year, which is close to matching the total number of cases reported in all of 2023.
According to data from the CDC, 45 measles cases have been recorded in the first two months across 17 states, nearly surpassing the 58 cases recorded throughout 2023. There are various factors contributing to the spread of measles and other infectious diseases, including the conditions in overcrowded shelters. The lack of pre-entry health screenings for contagious diseases at the border has been identified as a concern, along with the transportation of individuals into different parts of the country.
Elon Musk, responding to a post by Fox News’ Bill Melugin on X, simply commented with “!”, drawing attention to a report of a measles outbreak in a Chicago migrant shelter.
!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 12, 2024
Chicago is seeing an outbreak of measles, with 10 of 12 cases traced back to a Pilsen migrant facility. Two infected children are known to be attending Chicago Public Schools.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease, capable of remaining airborne for up to two hours. Symptoms may not manifest until days after exposure.
In an effort to curb the spread, several families exposed to measles at the Pilsen shelter are now quarantined in a Chicago hotel for 21 days.
The Chicago Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) director of Immunizations and Vaccinations, Dr. Alexander Sloboda, detailed in a Q&A session, “Throughout Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, we worked 12–16-hour shifts in the shelter to vaccinate everyone who lacked verification of prior vaccination.” Fox32 reported that nearly 900 migrants were vaccinated through this effort.
Dr. Liou from Alivio Medical Center noted that prior to the outbreak, the process for screening and vaccinating migrants was uncoordinated and inconsistent.
“It’s very inconsistent as to who has received screenings, who has had their vaccine records reviewed, in some cases we’ve seen folks who had vaccine records but said that nobody ever asked for them,” Liou said. “For a lot of folks, they haven’t had consistent access to healthcare, so they may not know what they need, what they’re missing.”
The World Health Organization is also issuing a global alert, noting that cases of the virus are being reported “everywhere” and warning that there is a “perfect storm” of measles outbreaks this year.
