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Chicago public well being officers confirmed Friday {that a} youngster on the metropolis’s largest migrant shelter had contracted and since recovered from a case of measles, elevating questions on when the kid turned contaminated and when metropolis officers – and the shelter’s operator Favorite Healthcare Staffing – discovered of the case.
A spokeswoman for the Favorite Healthcare Staffing referred NBC 5 Investigates’ questions again to CDPH.
Health division officers additionally didn’t deal with our questions and as an alternative emailed NBC 5 Investigates a duplicate of Friday’s press launch – which confirmed that metropolis companies have been investigating the case of measles in a “non-school age child who has recovered and is no longer infectious.”
NBC 5 Investigates discovered that migrants have been requested to shelter in place whereas well being officers labored to find out who was vaccinated for measles. Those who weren’t vaccinated can be given a well being screening for signs and supplied the vaccine. Those who might show their vaccination standing can be free to come back and go from the shelter.
Ronnie Reese, communications director for Mayor Brandon Johnson, mentioned the confirmed measles case wouldn’t disrupt the town’s plan to have migrants start to exit the shelters beginning on March 16.
In a launch Friday afternoon, CDPH went on to state:
“Most Chicagoans are routinely vaccinated in childhood and subsequently not at excessive danger. Anyone who is just not vaccinated in opposition to measles ought to achieve this. MMR vaccine is offered at most physician’s places of work and pharmacies. Illinois youngsters as younger as 10 years-old can get vaccinated at pharmacies underneath Illinois regulation. CDPH Immunization clinics present MMR vaccine for no out-of-pocket price to any youngster 0–18 years and uninsured adults 19 and older. For extra data on measles please go to the CDPH web site.
On Thursday, CDPH confirmed one other, unrelated case of measles in a Chicago resident, the primary case recognized in a Chicagoan since 2019. The supply of the an infection is unknown right now and the infectious interval for the Chicago resident ended on March 6. The particular person is recovering nicely at dwelling.
No hyperlink has been recognized between this case and a measles case in an Indiana resident who had visited Chicago final month. That case didn’t end in any secondary measles circumstances in Chicago residents.”
News of this measles case comes only a week after NBC 5 Investigates uncovered potential healthcare gaps within the metropolis’s migrant mission.
The Halsted migrant shelter is the town’s largest – at one time housing greater than 2,500 folks; the shelter inhabitants is now nearer to 1800 — practically third of whom are youngsters.
City officers acknowledged throughout a metropolis council committee listening to in late January that the Halsted shelter didn’t have a chosen isolation room.
“Although they’ve been able to space people out a little better my understanding is it is still very challenging,” mentioned Dr. Evelyn Figueroa, a household doctor with UI Health.
Dr.Figueroa helps function the Pilsen Food Pantry – situated roughly a mile away from the shelter the place a toddler just lately contracted and recovered from measles.
Figueroa can also be related with a gaggle of medical volunteers, who for months have pushed to realize entry to the shelters to assist present well being screenings. So far, the group of medically educated volunteers has not been granted entry inside metropolis shelter, however she says their talks with metropolis are ongoing.
“Although we are disappointed to still not be coming inside the shelters to do health screenings, we do have connections with families inside of those building sand we use those connections to help educate and connect people to vaccinations,” Figueroa mentioned.
As NBC 5 Investigates first reported final week – our assessment of hundreds of pages of metropolis data revealed potential gaps within the metropolis’s response to migrants’ well being wants.
The inside data present way back to October, the town was conscious that “overcrowding individuals” at shelters “put both new arrivals and shelter staff at higher risk for contagious illnesses.” And {that a} lack of area inside the shelter system elevated challenges to getting folks preliminary healthcare.
When requested if she thought these gaps have been nonetheless in existence or have they been closed, Figueroa mentioned: “I think those gaps are less large than they were before but I don’t believe they’ve been completely resolved.”
Dr. Figueroa says there’s a want for extra personnel on the bottom to assist quell hysteria and educate migrants on the advantages of vaccines.
In response to our findings, Mayor Brandon Johnson defended the town’s efforts.
“It just wasn’t right the way people were arriving here and we were responding to it to the best of our ability,” Johnson mentioned on Feb. 21.
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