The Illinois Department of Public Health has asked all grade schools in Illinois to share information with parents regarding recent nationwide measles outbreaks and the urgent importance of measles vaccinations.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reports that measles outbreaks continue to occur nationwide. From Jan. 1 to May 31, 2019, 981 cases of measles have been identified in 26 states. This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1992 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000. A recent summary report of cases shows the median age of cases to be 5 years, and 53 percent of cases have occurred among individuals between the ages of 16 months and 19 years. Among cases, 90 percent were either unvaccinated or had unknown vaccine status this year. This year, Illinois has had nine known cases so far.
As school ends and summer begins, Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and District 58 want to ensure parents are aware of this situation, and provide useful resources to prevent and reduce the risk of a measles outbreak.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) measles website for up-to-date case counts: CDC measles outbreak page
- IDPH measles website with resources: IDPH measles website
- IDPH Healthcare Provider Measles Infographic: Measles infographic
- CDC Parent Measles Infographic: Parent infographic
Parents with questions regarding measles vaccinations and other health concerns should contact their school nurse or Assistant Superintendent for Special Services Jessica Stewart at 630-719-5824 or jstewart@dg58.org.