Latest news with #VaxVerify
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How to check the measles vaccination rate at your child's school
CHICAGO (WGN) — Illinois health officials on Wednesday released a new online tool that allows residents to look up the measles vaccination rate at any school in the state to assess the risk of infection. Illinois this year is so far clear of confirmed measles infections, but Indiana health officials on Wednesday confirmed five more cases, bring that state's total to six. In Texas, officials said this week that a second child died of measles. An adult in New Mexico has also died. None of three who died were vaccinated. The last outbreak in the Chicago area was last spring, when dozens of infections were reported, mostly at shelters housing migrants to the city. 'Our new dashboard provides the public with the ability to review the measles vaccination rates in their child's school and its risk for an outbreak,' IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a statement. The Measles Outbreak Simulator Dashboard currently uses vaccination data from both public and private schools in the 2023-2024 school year. It'll be updated with more-recent information from the current school year when the data becomes available 'in the near future,' the department's statement said. The tool provides predictions, projections and estimates for the size and spread of a measles outbreak in individual Illinois schools from Pre-K through 12th grade. 'I encourage every school administrator to explore this resource to support families in staying informed and up to date on vaccinations,' State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders said. Measles, which is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus, can spread easily when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Many in the United States are already protected. The CDC said the measles vaccine, which has been used for over 50 years, is considered to be very effective. Two doses of the vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles if exposed to the virus, and one dose is about 93% effective. Those who received the vaccine are usually fully protected for life after about two or three weeks, according to the CDC. While the vaccine has historically proven to be highly effective, the CDC said about three out of 100 who get the vaccine will still have measles if exposed. For more information on how to get vaccinated, call Cook County Health at 833-308-1988. Illinois residents can view their immunization records on the state's Vax Verify portal. Gabriel Castillo contributed to this report Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Illinois unveils online tool showing measles vaccination rates by school
With measles spreading across the country, the Illinois Department of Public Health unveiled a new online tool Wednesday that allows people to look up measles vaccination rates and data about the risk of outbreaks at individual schools across the state. Illinois has not had any reported cases of measles yet this year, but there were 607 reported cases across the country so far this year, as of April 3, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Earlier this week, Texas announced that a second child with measles had died. In all, three people with measles in the U.S. have died this year, and all three were unvaccinated. Before the recent outbreak, there had not been a measles death in the U.S. for a decade. 'Our new dashboard provides the public with the ability to review the measles vaccination rates in their child's school and its risk for an outbreak,' said Dr. Sameer Vohra, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, in a news release. The new Measles Outbreak Simulator Dashboard uses school vaccination data from 2023-2024 to predict, project and estimate the size and spread of a measles outbreak in individual Illinois schools. People looking up schools in Cook County should look under 'Suburban-Cook.' The state health department is encouraging school administrators and staff to use the dashboard to help make decisions related to outbreak prevention and control. Vohra urged Illinois residents to make sure they and their family members are up-to-date on their measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. Two doses of the vaccine are recommended for lifetime protection and are 97% effective against measles, according to the CDC. One dose is 93% effective against the illness. The first dose of the vaccine, or the similar measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox) vaccine is typically is given at age 12 months to 15 months. Children typically receive the second dose between ages 4 to 6. So far this year, more than 20 states have reported confirmed cases of measles, with the largest outbreak in Texas. Neighboring Indiana said Wednesday it has confirmed six cases of measles, including four minors who were unvaccinated and two adults whose vaccination status was unknown. Vohra said the state health department is working with local public health departments and health care organizations to 'prepare for any potential measles cases in Illinois.' Illinois has not had a case of measles since an outbreak in March 2024 in which 67 cases were reported, with most linked to a Chicago shelter for migrants on the Lower West Side where nearly 2,500 people were living in close quarters. That outbreak was the largest in Illinois since 1990, according to the state health department. People can check their vaccination status by contacting their health care providers or looking at their medical records. Or they can use the Illinois Department of Public Health's online portal, Vax Verify, to check their immunization status.
Chicago Tribune
09-04-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Illinois unveils online tool showing measles vaccination rates by school
With measles spreading across the country, the Illinois Department of Public Health unveiled a new online tool Wednesday that allows people to look up measles vaccination rates and data about the risk of outbreaks at individual schools across the state. Illinois has not had any reported cases of measles yet this year, but there were 607 reported cases across the country so far this year, as of April 3, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Earlier this week, Texas announced that a second child with measles had died. In all, three people with measles in the U.S. have died this year, and all three were unvaccinated. Before the recent outbreak, there had not been a measles death in the U.S. for a decade. 'Our new dashboard provides the public with the ability to review the measles vaccination rates in their child's school and its risk for an outbreak,' said Dr. Sameer Vohra, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, in a news release. The new Measles Outbreak Simulator Dashboard uses school vaccination data from 2023-2024 to predict, project and estimate the size and spread of a measles outbreak in individual Illinois schools. People looking up schools in Cook County should look under 'Suburban-Cook.' The state health department is encouraging school administrators and staff to use the dashboard to help make decisions related to outbreak prevention and control. Vohra urged Illinois residents to make sure they and their family members are up-to-date on their measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. Two doses of the vaccine are recommended for lifetime protection and are 97% effective against measles, according to the CDC. One dose is 93% effective against the illness. The first dose of the vaccine, or the similar measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox) vaccine is typically is given at age 12 months to 15 months. Children typically receive the second dose between ages 4 to 6. So far this year, more than 20 states have reported confirmed cases of measles, with the largest outbreak in Texas. Neighboring Indiana said Wednesday it has confirmed six cases of measles, including four minors who were unvaccinated and two adults whose vaccination status was unknown. Vohra said the state health department is working with local public health departments and health care organizations to 'prepare for any potential measles cases in Illinois.' Illinois has not had a case of measles since an outbreak in March 2024 in which 67 cases were reported, with most linked to a Chicago shelter for migrants on the Lower West Side where nearly 2,500 people were living in close quarters. That outbreak was the largest in Illinois since 1990, according to the state health department. People can check their vaccination status by contacting their health care providers or looking at their medical records. Or they can use the Illinois Department of Public Health's online portal, Vax Verify, to check their immunization status. Originally Published: April 9, 2025 at 3:35 PM CDT
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Chicago health department advises residents to check measles vaccination status
The Chicago Department of Public Health is advising city residents to check their measles vaccination records, as the illness continues to spread in other parts of the country. No cases of measles have been reported in Illinois this year. But across the country, there have been more than 300 cases so far this year in 15 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the most effective way to protect against catching the illness. Two doses of the vaccine are recommended for lifetime protection and are 97% effective against measles, according to the CDC. One dose is 93% effective against the illness. Without protection, measles is highly contagious. If one person has the measles, up to 90% of the people nearby will catch it if they are not immune, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health. People can check their vaccination status by contacting their health care providers or looking at their medical records. Or they can use the Illinois Department of Public Health's online portal, Vax Verify, to check their immunization status. The first dose of the vaccine, or a similar vaccine — the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox) vaccine — typically is given at age 12 months to 15 months. The second dose is often given from ages 4 to 6. The Chicago Department of Public Health offers MMR vaccinations for anyone who needs them, regardless of whether they have health insurance, at immunization clinics throughout city, a list of which can be found by going to The clinics take walk-ins, but patients are encouraged to register online or by calling the clinic. Measles symptoms typically start about one to two weeks after a person is exposed to the illness and can include a high fever, cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes and a rash that breaks out three to five days after symptoms start, according to the CDC. The recommendation from the Chicago health department comes amid outbreaks of the illness, including in Texas, which has had 279 cases since late January, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Of those cases, 277 people were either unvaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown. In the Texas outbreak, 36 patients have been hospitalized, and one child has died. The child who died was unvaccinated and had no known underlying conditions, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The child was the first person to die of measles in the U.S. in a decade. New Mexico has had the next-highest number of measles cases so far, with 38, according to the New Mexico Department of Health. Illinois had an outbreak of measles in March 2024 in which 67 cases were reported, with most linked to a Chicago shelter for migrants on the Lower West Side where nearly 2,500 people were living in close quarters. It was the largest outbreak in Illinois since 1990, according to the state health department. In Illinois, about 91.6% of kindergartners had received the MMR vaccine during the 2023-2024 school year. In Illinois, routine childhood vaccinations against diseases such as measles, polio and whooping cough decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationwide, the percentage of U.S. kindergartners vaccinated against measles decreased from 95.2% during the 2019–2020 school year to 92.7% in the 2023–2024 school year, according to the CDC.
Chicago Tribune
20-03-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago health department advises residents to check measles vaccination status
The Chicago Department of Public Health is advising city residents to check their measles vaccination records, as the illness continues to spread in other parts of the country. No cases of measles have been reported in Illinois this year. But across the country, there have been more than 300 cases so far this year in 15 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the most effective way to protect against catching the illness. Two doses of the vaccine are recommended for lifetime protection and are 97% effective against measles, according to the CDC. One dose is 93% effective against the illness. Without protection, measles is highly contagious. If one person has the measles, up to 90% of the people nearby will catch it if they are not immune, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health. People can check their vaccination status by contacting their health care providers or looking at their medical records. Or they can use the Illinois Department of Public Health's online portal, Vax Verify, to check their immunization status. The first dose of the vaccine, or a similar vaccine — the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox) vaccine — typically is given at age 12 months to 15 months. The second dose is often given from ages 4 to 6. The Chicago Department of Public Health offers MMR vaccinations for anyone who needs them, regardless of whether they have health insurance, at immunization clinics throughout city, a list of which can be found by going to The clinics take walk-ins, but patients are encouraged to register online or by calling the clinic. Measles symptoms typically start about one to two weeks after a person is exposed to the illness and can include a high fever, cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes and a rash that breaks out three to five days after symptoms start, according to the CDC. The recommendation from the Chicago health department comes amid outbreaks of the illness, including in Texas, which has had 279 cases since late January, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Of those cases, 277 people were either unvaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown. In the Texas outbreak, 36 patients have been hospitalized, and one child has died. The child who died was unvaccinated and had no known underlying conditions, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The child was the first person to die of measles in the U.S. in a decade. New Mexico has had the next-highest number of measles cases so far, with 38, according to the New Mexico Department of Health. Illinois had an outbreak of measles in March 2024 in which 67 cases were reported, with most linked to a Chicago shelter for migrants on the Lower West Side where nearly 2,500 people were living in close quarters. It was the largest outbreak in Illinois since 1990, according to the state health department. In Illinois, about 91.6% of kindergartners had received the MMR vaccine during the 2023-2024 school year. In Illinois, routine childhood vaccinations against diseases such as measles, polio and whooping cough decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationwide, the percentage of U.S. kindergartners vaccinated against measles decreased from 95.2% during the 2019–2020 school year to 92.7% in the 2023–2024 school year, according to the CDC.
