Measles Outbreak Spreads In Chicago, Toronto; Not Related To Disneyland

After a measles breakout in Disneyland, the number of cases of the disease continues to grow. On Monday, three more cases were confirmed in Chicago, bringing the total to eight in that city, the Chicago Tribune reported. Two adults and six infants have been infected; none of them were vaccinated. Seven of the cases are linked to an outbreak at KinderCare Learning Center in Palatine, Illinois. The first confirmed measles case in Chicago was in late January. The person has been identified as an “adult,” the Chicago Tribune wrote.

All the children who became ill with the measles were too young to get the vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella. Normally, the shot is administered at 12 to 15 months and again at 4 to 6 years.

There isn’t a link between the child and adult cases, and there isn’t a connection to the Disneyland outbreak, NBC News reported. Regardless, KinderCare Learning Center said all staff members there must be vaccinated beginning Monday.

“The solution to ending measles is simple -- get vaccinated,” Illinois Department of Public Health director Nirav Shah said in a press release. “The vaccine is 97 percent effective upon receipt of two doses. But the vaccine alone doesn’t provide protection; it is the vaccination that will prevent disease. I urge everyone who is eligible to receive the vaccine to get vaccinated.”

Six cases of the measles have also been detected in Toronto, though four of the cases are not related to the Disneyland outbreak, CTV, Canada wrote. The strains were tested and do not match the California outbreak.

There are 121 measles cases to date in 2015, and 114 cases are related to Disneyland, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said Monday. Controversy has surrounded the current measles outbreak as people defend their views on whether children should be vaccinated.

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