By BETH HUNDSDORFER
Capitol News Illinois
bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday afternoon the first case of measles in the state.
The measles diagnosis involving an adult in far southern Illinois was confirmed through laboratory testing, according to a press release sent out by IDPH.
This is the only IDPH-confirmed case in the state.
“This is not considered an outbreak at this time. IDPH will update the public should there be any notable developments,” the release stated.
IDPH is working to identify potential locations of exposure, including the clinic in southern Illinois where the patient sought care, to see whether any other patients were exposed. Health workers were wearing masks and “are considered immune,” the release said.
There have been no reported cases of measles since an outbreak in Chicago in early 2024 that resulted in 67 cases.
The Centers for Disease Control reports 800 confirmed cases in 25 jurisdictions: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Washington. Those numbers were updated last week, according to the CDC website.
IDPH has been monitoring an outbreak in New Mexico and Texas that has resulted in three deaths, including two children.
“The first reported cases of measles in Illinois in 2025 is a reminder to our Illinois residents that this disease can be prevented with up-to-date vaccinations,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said. “With hundreds of cases being reported nationally, we have been working closely with our local public health and health care partners to prepare for any potential meals cases in Illinois.” Two doses of measles/mumps/rubella vaccine are 97% effective in preventing measles, Vohra said.
Measles symptoms may take from seven to 21 days to emerge and include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Anyone exposed and not immune to measles should notify their local health department if they become symptomatic.
Those with measles symptoms should contact their health care provider by phone or email before going to their office, urgent care or hospital emergency room so special arrangements can be made to prevent further transmission.
IDPH unveiled a Measles Outbreak Simulator Dashboard to allow the public to find out the vaccination rate of schools so they can determine the risk of a child being exposed to measles if a case is introduced in their school.
Vaccination rates have dropped since the COVID-19 pandemic. The current secretary of the federal Health and Human Services Department, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been on record as being opposed to vaccines, which health officials fear has influenced some parents to not have their children vaccinated.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
