Health

(NEW YORK) — Millions of Americans are still experiencing long COVID more than four years since the global COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic.

According to the most recent federal Household Pulse Survey, between Jan. 9, and Feb. 5, 6.8% of U.S. adults currently have long COVID and 17.6% have had long COVID.

Using 2020 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, this means 17.5 million adults currently have long COVID and 45.4 million people have ever had long COVID.

Since the early days of the pandemic, scientists have learned a great deal about what puts someone at risk for long COVID, but researchers say we are still “scratching the surface” when it comes to our understanding of what causes the condition or how to treat it.

“We know much more today than we did four years ago; that’s a fact,” Dr. Alba Azola, an assistant professor of physical medicine and Rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins Medicine, told ABC News. “But we do not have clarity on the exact pathophysiology or that mechanism that’s driving those symptoms.”

“We’re just scratching the surface, we’re just beginning to understand what makes those people that develop long COVID different than those people that have COVID and completely recover after,” she added.

What is long COVID?

Long COVID occurs when patients still have symptoms at least four weeks after they have cleared the infection. In some cases, symptoms can be experienced for months or years.

Symptoms vary and can include fatigue, difficulty breathing, headaches, brain fog, joint and muscle pain and continued loss of taste and smell, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Azola said not all symptoms are visible in every single patient, but they can experience a wide range of them.

Long COVID most often occurs in people who had severe illness but anyone can develop the condition. People who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 are at higher risk of developing long COVID, according to the CDC.

Mystery around what causes long COVID

Scientists are not sure what causes long COVID but have identified risk factors including having underlying conditions or experiencing multi-system inflammatory syndrome due to COVID.

Research has also found that patients with long COVID tend to have lower cortisol levels and lower testosterone levels.

Another theory is that virus particles may become active again, causing people to suffer long-term symptoms.

“What we want, of course, it’s just to be able to diagnose, and to treat,” Dr. Fernando Carnavali, director of the Mount Sinai Center for Post-COVID Care in New York, told ABC News. “We have people that are really suffering with this, brain fog and other symptoms that are significantly impacting the quality of life. And it feels because of that some of [the research] is not enough. But I think that we are on the way.”

Research is also not clear about why some patients recover and others don’t.

New York City resident David Speal, 41, contracted COVID-19 in March 2020. He became seriously ill and was hospitalized at Lenox Hill Hospital. After he was discharged from the hospital, he said he experienced a consistently high heart rate.

It was several months later that he was diagnosed with long COVID. It’s been a long road to recovery, but Speal has regained most of his health since his initial infection.

However, he said his wife is suffering. Speal said she contracted COVID twice — the second time resulting in brain fog so severe that she no longer works, but it’s unclear whether or not she receives disability.

“I’m not 100%. Sometimes, you do a lot, you get really tired, and you can tell like, ‘Okay, you know, this is still, it’s still a part of me, but not to the point where I can’t function,'” he told ABC News. “My biggest question is, well, how did I recover? You know, like, what happened?” We don’t truly know what was the turning point for me when everything went normal.”

Trials still needed for treatments

Because those with long COVID can experience a variety of symptoms, there is no single treatment or cure for the condition.

Patients and health care providers often have to work together to create a personal care plan to manage symptoms.

“We need to remind ourselves that without really knowing the pathophysiology of the disease, without knowing biomarkers, it’s complex,” Carnavali said. “There are certain things that people been trying and some of these treatments do potentially have some benefit.”

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) RECOVER Initiative launched several clinical trials of potential treatments for long COVID.

Currently, the only medications or treatments that can be used aim to alleviate some long COVID symptoms, but aren’t specifically for long COVID. Speal said he was prescribed propranolol, a medication that slows down the heart rate and makes it easier for the heart to pump blood.

Speal said he took an extremely low dose of the medicine for about two years until he got to a point where he no longer needed to take the medication.

Azola said that while she expects that clinical trials will eventually result in effective treatments, she urges patients and the general public to be patient.

“The reality is that the science is moving forward, but it’s going to take a long time for that to translate into clinical improvement or treatment,” she said. “So, there’s a big canyon between science and clinical treatments that are available to us.”

‘You have to get comfortable with not knowing’

Doctors say that one of the most difficult things about treating long COVID patients is not having an answer about why they’re feeling the way they feel or how to best treat them.

“I would probably say that’s one of the hardest things about being a physician that takes care of this patient population,” Azola said. “Because as physicians, we want to help people, we want to get them better, we want to have those answers. But in the case of long COVID, it’s quite frustrating. We don’t have those answers.”

“You really need to kind of get comfortable with not knowing … but also being curious and partnering with my patients to try to find creative ways that can be beneficial to them or finding creative ways to make their quality of life better,” she added.

Azola said she currently helps patients better manage symptoms and pain so that, even if they are not free for long COVID symptoms, they can at least participate in their day-to-day activities.

Speal said it’s often hard to describe to other people who have not gone through COVID what he may be experiencing, even his own family and friends.

“People say, ‘No, it’ll be okay’ or ‘Try this, do that’ but it’s like the only way you can truly understand long COVID is if it happens to you, and I wouldn’t wish that on anybody,” he said. “The reality is it’s so hard to explain to people, because every case is totally different.”

Azola also cautioned family members and caregivers of long COVID patients to not dismiss them or how they feel.

“At times, by pushing themselves too much, or trying to go beyond their energy envelope, they can actually end up harming themselves and losing function,” she said. “So, it is certainly important for families and people that have caregivers to continue to help them because that’s the only way they’re gonna be able to get better.”

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(NEW YORK) — COVID-19 vaccines were found to cut the risk of heart failure by up to 55% and blood clots by up to 78% following COVID infection, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal.

The positive health effects lasted for up to a year and were more pronounced right after getting vaccinated.

Researchers looked at over 20 million people in Europe; half of them were vaccinated against the virus, and half were not. Vaccines included in the research were Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

During the period of study, researchers looked at the original strain of the virus and the Delta variant.

COVID vaccines reduced the risk of blood clots in the veins by 78% within a month of obtaining the dose, according to the researchers’ findings. It also reduced the risk of blood clots in the arteries by 47% and heart failure by 55%, the study found.

Researchers said COVID vaccines reduced the risk of a blood clot in the vein by 47%, a blood clot in an artery by 28% and heart failure by 39% in the six-month period after vaccination.

Adults over the age of 65 are now able to get an additional updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against severe hospitalization and death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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(NEW YORK) — Medication abortion accounted for 63% of all the abortions performed in the U.S. in 2023, according to a new study from the Guttmacher Institute.

In the first full calendar year following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in July 2022, approximately 642,700 medication abortions took place within the health care system, according to Guttmacher’s Monthly Provision Study. Since the court’s decision, 14 states have ceased nearly all abortions.

By comparison, medication abortions accounted for 53% of abortions in the U.S. in 2020, according to the study.

One of the pills used in the medication abortion regimen, mifepristone, is at the center of a legal challenge before the Supreme Court which could restrict nationwide access to the pill.

The utilization of medication abortions has steadily increased over the last two decades.

The most common medication abortion regimen consists of two medications, mifepristone and misoprotol. Under current Food and Drug Administration guidelines, mifepristone is safe for use up to 10 weeks of pregnancy and can be sent to patients following a telehealth appointment.

The Guttmacher Institute estimates that the total number of medication abortions is higher than the study’s count, because the study only includes abortions provided within the formal health care system.

The study does not take into account self-managed abortions which take place outside the formal health care system or abortion medication mailed to patients living in states with abortion bans in effect, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

The study also found that, in 2023, there were an estimated 1,026,690 abortions in the formal U.S. health care system and a rate of 15.7 abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age. This represents a 10% increase in the number of abortions from 2020 and is the highest number and rate of abortions measured in the country in more than a decade. It’s the first year since 2012 that there were more than one million abortions provided in the formal health care system.

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to weigh in on abortion once again when it hears arguments in a lawsuit seeking to revoke the FDA’s approval of mifepristone. The court could restrict the ability to mail abortion medication to patients living in states with bans in effect and require that the drug be provided in-person.

Earlier this month, CVS and Walgreens announced that they would begin selling mifepristone in some states.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden signed a sweeping executive order Monday promoting women’s health research as the country continues to celebrate Women’s History Month.

The White House described it as the “most comprehensive set of actions” taken by a president to advance women’s health research, which will focus on diseases and conditions that disproportionately affect women.

Biden has previously hinted to the initiative during his State of the Union address earlier this month, describing women’s health as chronically underfunded and calling on Congress to approve $12 billion to support a women’s health fund for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Here are some of the women’s health issues Biden said he wants to tackle in his executive order:

Research focusing on women’s health after menopause

Biden’s executive order will support research into women’s midlife health and diseases that are prevalent after menopause, including heart disease and osteoporosis.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will be directed to increase data collection about women’s midlife health and find ways to improve management of menopause-related issues.

After someone goes through menopause, their ovaries produce less estrogen, which increases the risk of developing certain health problems.

Heart disease is one of the most common health problems women face after menopause. Women have a lower risk of heart disease than men before age 55 because estrogen protects blood vessels and helps the body balance cholesterol levels.

Once a woman produces less estrogen, arteries can become thicker and stiffen, and “bad” cholesterol may build up on the walls of the arteries leading to heart disease.

By age 70, women have the same risk for heart disease as men of similar age, according to the HHS. They are also at increased risk of stroke.

Osteoporosis — a bone disease caused by a loss of bone density and bone mass as well as structural changes to the bone — is another risk facing postmenopausal women. Lower estrogen levels after menopause can speed up the loss of bone mass, increasing the risk of fractures.

It’s unknown how many older women have osteoporosis in the U.S. but, using criteria from the World Health Organization (WHO), it is estimated about 30% of caucasian postmenopausal women have osteoporosis, according to the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center.

Under the executive order, Biden also stated the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs will evaluate the needs of women service members and veterans for midlife health issues, including menopausal symptoms.

More women in clinical trials

In the executive order, the president said members of the initiative would work to “improve the recruitment, enrollment, and retention of women in clinical trials, including, as appropriate, by reducing barriers through technological and data sciences advances.”

As recently as the 1970s, few women were enrolled in clinical trials, and it was believed women’s health needs were a low priority.

In 1986, the NIH establish a policy that encouraged the inclusion of women in studies, but the policy was poorly communicated and inconsistently applied. Eventually, Congress passed a law in 1993 that established guidelines for the inclusion of women and underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups in clinical research.

However, women are still underrepresented, particularly in the early stages of clinical trials. One 2022 study found women account for between 29% and 34% of early-stage clinical trials due to concerns about fertility. This can often lead to a lack of understanding about how women may respond to a new drug compared to men.

Another 2022 study from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital found females make up 60% of all patients with psychiatric disorders, but just 42% of participants in clinical trials investigating drugs and devices to treat those disorders. Similar findings were seen with examined data from clinical trials for cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Conditions with different symptoms for men and women

During a press call on Sunday afternoon, Dr. Carolyn Mazure, chairperson of the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, said the order will also focus on conditions that affect women disproportionately including Alzheimer’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

Women have a greater lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than men, one reason being that women live longer than men, according to an article published in Harvard Health Publishing from Harvard Medical School.

However, it’s not understood if there are any biomarkers or other unknown factors that make women more susceptible.

In the case of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), women are up to three times more likely than men to be diagnosed with the condition. It is believed that several factors, including sex hormones, play a role, but researchers say more work needs to be done in understanding why women are more predisposed to developing RA and also why different joints are affected in women compared to men.

ABC News’ Frtiz Farrow and Selina Wang contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — Cases of MIS-C are still occurring in 2023 and children who are unvaccinated or have waning immunity from previous vaccination are at the highest risk of developing the condition, according to a new federal report published Thursday.

MIS-C, or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, is a rare but serious condition in which different body parts can become inflamed — such as the heart, lungs, brain and kidneys — and is often seen in children after they are diagnosed with COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It typically occurs between two to six weeks after infection and many children can be hospitalized with serious complications.

To better understand MIS-C, CDC investigators and partners from various health departments looked at cases of MIS-C in 2023 and compared them with cases that occurred earlier in the pandemic, from 2020 to 2022.

Although incidence of MIS-C dropped dramatically, particularly since the peak from late 2020 to early 2021, there continues to be cases and, specifically, an increase during fall 2023, when COVID-19 activity began peaking in the U.S.

In total, 117 cases were reported during 2023 with more than one-quarter — 26% — occurring between August and October 2023. The authors, however, said this is likely an undercount due to reporting lags.

“While numbers have gone down, it’s still a persistent risk in our pediatric population and it’s especially true following surges of COVID. We will see increases in this condition among our kids,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor.

The median age of MIS-C patients in 2023 was 7. This is younger than the median age of 5 from February 2020 to January 2022.

Of the 117 patients, 58% had no previous underlying conditions. This is consistent with previous data from the CDC, which has shown that majority of children with MIS-C don’t have pre-existing conditions.

When children did have pre-existing conditions, obesity was the most common condition at 27.4%. Other pre-existing conditions included chronic lung disease, neurological conditions and cardiac conditions.

Many children required intensive medical care. The report found 50% were admitted to intensive care units; 34% experienced shock, meaning the organs weren’t getting enough blood or oxygen; and 27% experienced cardiac dysfunction. The team found the percentages were similar to those reported earlier in the pandemic.

The overwhelming majority, 112 of the 117 patients, were eligible for COVID-19 vaccines at the time of their illness.

However, 82.1% of the children with MIS-C were unvaccinated. Additionally, among the 20 patients who were vaccinated, 60% were more than 12 months out from their last dose of the vaccine. Only five children with MIS-C had received three or more doses. `

This means that unvaccinated children and those with waning immunity were more likely to develop MIS-C than those who were vaccinated or whose immunity hadn’t waned.

“It highlights the fact that vaccination still represents our critical tool to reducing any significant risk of complications from COVID in our pediatric population,” Brownstein said. “The issue, of course, is that as we get further out from the sort of height of the pandemic, vaccination becomes less of a priority for families.”

Brownstein said this may be highlighted by the age shift in younger kids contracting MIS-C in 2023 compared to previous points in the pandemic.

“Likely because those kids have become vaccine-eligible, but parents are electing not to vaccinate their kids, because of the sort of overall perception that COVID risk is low,” he said. “But MIS-C is one of those critical features of COVID that should represent an important reason why parents should get their kids vaccinated.”

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(NEW YORK) — Actress and model Christie Brinkley revealed she has been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer, in an Instagram post featuring photos of her recovery from surgery.

“The good news for me is we caught the basal cell Carcinoma early,” said Brinkley, 70, in the post on March 13. “And I had great Doctors that removed the cancer and stitched me up to perfection like an haute couture Dior.”

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, and is diagnosed in at least two million people each year. It originates in basal cells, a type of cell that produces new skin cells, and often occurs in areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

The Sports Illustrated model also used her post as an opportunity to urge care and vigilance in skin protection.

“The good news for you is that all of this can be avoided by being diligent with your sun protection!” wrote Brinkley, adding, “I got serious a bit late so now for this ole mermaid/gardener, I’ll be slathering on my SPF 30, reapplying as needed, wearing long sleeves and a wide brim hat. And doing regular total body check ups..that is a MUST !”

Brinkley revealed she only became aware of her cancer when accompanying her daughter to a doctor’s appointment and saw the doctor closely examining her daughter’s skin. She asked the doctor to examine a “tiny dot” she said she felt as she applied foundation.

“He took a look and knew immediately it needed a biopsy! He did it then and there!” she said.

She concluded the post with a final message of guidance for those at risk of skin cancer.

“So make your own good luck by making that check up appointment today. And slather up my friends!” Brinkley said. 

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(NEW YORK) — What began as symptoms of fatigue for one Florida man became a life-changing cancer diagnosis at age 25.

Jace, who asked that his last name not be used to protect his privacy, told ABC News’ Good Morning America he attributed the fatigue he experienced in early 2023 to being a workaholic.

The 25-year-old is the co-founder of a marketing company and an entrepreneur in the health and wellness industry.

“I’m very passionate about what I do, and I love what I do,” he told GMA. “And for that reason, you know, I tend to push the limits of my energy a little bit.”

Prior to his cancer diagnosis, Jace said he had no serious health issues and led an active lifestyle, often going for a run or golfing as part of his regular activities.

“I’ve been a very healthy person my whole life,” he said, adding that he came from a very fitness-oriented family.

The Florida resident said whenever he found himself in New York City on business trips, he enjoyed running through Central Park.

However, during a run at the park last September, he said he felt his “energy was low.”

“I could not catch my breath. It was alarming,” he said. “I had to stop multiple times to catch my breath. My heart was pounding incredibly hard. It felt like it was beating out of my chest.”

Not long after the incident, Jace said he began experiencing severe back pain.

“[It was] in my upper back toward my shoulder blades, and it was horrible,” he said. “I had shooting pains all the way through my arm.”

Advocating for himself to find a diagnosis

To check on the pain, Jace said he went to urgent care, where he was treated with muscle relaxer and steroids.

A second doctor visit led to Jace being put on medication for what his doctor thought was just acid reflux. At another doctor visit, Jace said he was told to see a sports injury specialist for his pain.

Jace said at the time, he was beginning to feel despair, telling GMA, “I just felt like nothing was working.”

Following additional testing, Jace said doctors discovered three masses in his chest that were equivalent to the size of a softball.

After losing 20 pounds and experiencing more symptoms like night sweats, Jace saw an oncologist, whom he said diagnosed him with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer in which “malignant cells form in the lymph system,” according to the National Cancer Institute.

Battling cancer in the public eye

After the shock of his diagnosis, Jace said he decided to document his cancer journey on social media to help raise awareness.

His Instagram account, JaceBeatsCancer, has amassed more than 435,000 followers.

“I decided to start posting content not just to document the journey for myself but to document, really, the journey for my loved ones and my friends so that they could see how I was doing and what I was going through,” he explained. “I had no idea that people would be drawn to this content.”

Jace shares everything on his social media accounts from his emergency room visits to undergoing chemotherapy and antibody therapy — and experiencing the side effects that come with those therapies — to connecting with other people who are battling cancer, or who have loved ones doing so as well.

He has also shared moments of vulnerability through his cancer journey, including writing his own will with his father at the age of 25.

“The most compelling lesson that I’ve learned through this is to understand what’s truly important in life, and for me, what’s truly important is helping other people and spending time with those you love,” he said. “If you can do those two things, you will have a very, very fulfilled life.”

To keep himself motivated, Jace said he focuses on the new perspective he has gained and reminds himself to not give up.

“I do a lot of work with myself when I’m looking in the mirror. And I’m looking at my bald head. And I remember that I am fighting a war against cancer,” he said. “I remind myself that I’m strong, and that I love myself and that it takes a lot to go through this and that it’s OK to be weak — but it’s not OK to give up.”

Speaking to GMA, Jace’s oncologist, Dr. Steven B. Newman of the Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, said Jace is currently going through “a very tough regimen that includes both chemotherapy, and a monoclonal antibody therapy directed against one of the surface proteins on his lymphoma cell.”

He added that Jace’s chances of beating the cancer are “extremely good.”

“The survival rate for him should be in excess of 80%,” he said.

Newman also shared that Jace has a strong chance of recovery. He said Jace’s desire and determination to get better has inspired himself to continue the work he does in his profession.

“This is my 42nd year in medical practice as an oncologist. I’ve been doing this for a long time, and it is patients exactly like Jace that keep me coming to work every day,” Newman said. “It’s incredibly invigorating. It’s challenging, but working with someone like him, who has exceptional energy, intelligence and insight, makes it even more special.”

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(SANTA FE, N.M.) — A New Mexico man has died from plague in the state’s first human fatality since 2020, according to health officials.

The man lived in Lincoln County — located in the southeastern part of the state — and was hospitalized from the disease before dying, the New Mexico Department of Health said in a press release last week.

No other identifying information about the man was available, including his name, age or race/ethnicity.

Plague is treatable with commonly available antibiotics and the odds of full recovery are higher if a patient seeks medical care early, according to the CDC.

The NMDOH said staff members are reaching out to residents of the area and will be conducting an environmental assessment in the community to determine risk.

The last human plague case in the state was a resident of Torrance County in 2021, according to the health department. In 2020, there were four human cases including one in Santa Fe County, two in Torrance County and the fatal case in Rio Arriba County.

Although plague is often associated with killing millions of Europeans during the Middle Ages, it is not an eradicated disease, State Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Erin Phipps told ABC News.

“This is the same bacteria that caused the Black Death that decimated the European population, and it is indeed still present. It does still circulate in the present day,” she said.

Plague is a disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It naturally occurs in the western U.S., particularly in rural and semi-rural areas of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It typically affects wild rodents including wood rats, rock squirrels, ground squirrels, mice, prairie dogs and chipmunks. Humans can contract the disease by being bitten by a rodent flea carrying the bacterium or by coming into direct contact with an animal infected with plague, which may include pets.

Phipps said there are three types of plague: bubonic plague, which is associated with enlarged lymph nodes called buboes; septicemic plague, which occurs when the bacteria enter the bloodstream; and pneumonic plague, which is when the infection enters the lungs.

Other symptoms typically include headache, fever, chills and weakness.

“Bubonic plague has the enlarged lymph nodes but otherwise, the symptoms [of plague] are similar to several other diseases,” Phipps said. “And that’s what some of the challenge is. Because it’s rare, it’s not always on people’s radar.”

She said this is why diagnosis from a trained physician is extremely important to receive treatment.

Before antibiotics, two-thirds of people who contracted plague died of the disease, according to Phipps. Currently, about 10% of people die from plague, she said.

To reduce the risk of plague, the NMDOH recommends cleaning up areas near the home where rodents could live, preventing pets from roaming and hunting, putting away pet food to not attract rodents and keeping hay and wood as far away from the house as possible.

Additionally, have a sick pet examined immediately by a veterinarian and talk to your doctor if you have signs of unexplained illness.

“People don’t realize that [plague] is not a disease of the past,” Phipps said. “We get cases in the western United States every year. We hope by increasing awareness, we can encourage early diagnosis and agreement.”

She added: “It’s not something to be overly anxious about, but by ensuring it stays on the radar, it will help … people take measures if they live in wild areas or near wild rodent populations, especially with indoor and outdoor pets.”

The news of the New Mexico man’s death comes just a month after an Oregon resident contracted plague, likely from their cat, according to health officials in the state.

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(CHICAGO) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sending a team to Chicago to help respond to the first measles cases detected in the city since 2019, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) confirmed to ABC News.

Three cases of the highly infectious virus have been confirmed over the last week.

The CDC confirmed to ABC News a team is being sent to the city and is expected to arrive Tuesday.

“CDC is sending a team of experts to support the local response to the recent measles cases with arrival expected tomorrow,” a spokesperson told ABC News on Monday. “CDC continues to recommend the safe and effective MMR vaccination as part of the routine immunizations schedule for all children and adults, with special guidance for international travel. We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.”

The CDPH announced Sunday a second case of measles had been identified at a new arrivals shelter in Pilsen.

The two cases at the shelter are among young children, the CDPH said. The first patient recovered and is no longer infectious while the second patient is hospitalized in good condition, according to CDPH.

The third, unrelated case occurred in a Chicago resident whose source of infection is unknown but whose contagious period ended March 6, health officials said.

The CDPH said it is now doubling down on its message to all Chicagoans, including those at the new arrivals shelter, to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their communities.

Officials told ABC News station WLS-TV that 13% of shelter residents remain unvaccinated while those recently vaccinated have been encouraged to quarantine at the shelter for 21 days.

The CDC currently recommends two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine with the first dose given between ages 12 to 15 months and the second dose between ages 4 and 6. Adults are eligible to receive one dose of the vaccine if they are not immune.

The MMR vaccine is required to attend Chicago Public Schools but parents are allowed to seek exemptions for religious reasons, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

CDPH Commissioner Olusimbo “Simbo” Ige said recently that the risk to most people is low because the majority of Chicagoans are vaccinated against measles, but urged those aren’t vaccinated to do as soon as possible.

The vaccine “is by far the best protection against measles, which for the first time in years is in our city,” Ige said. “Because of how contagious measles is, I anticipate seeing more cases. Should you be exposed to someone who has measles, if you are not vaccinated you need to immediately quarantine and call a health provider. If you are not sure of your vaccination status, stay home and call your health provider as soon as possible.”

Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, but pockets of unvaccinated or undervaccinated communities have led to sporadic outbreaks over the last several years.

As of March 7, 2025, 45 measles cases have been reported in 16 states — California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington — according to the CDC.

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(CHICAGO) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reportedly sending a team to Chicago to help health officials respond to the first measles cases detected in the city since 2019.

Over the last week, three cases of the highly infectious virus have been confirmed.

The Chicago Department of Public Health announced Sunday a second case of measles had been identified at a new arrivals shelter in Pilsen.

The two cases are among young children. The first patient recovered and is no longer infectious while the second patient is hospitalized in good condition, according to CDPH.

The third, unrelated case occurred in a Chicago resident whose source of infection is unknown but whose contagious period ended March 6, health officials said.

The CDPH said it is now doubling down on its message to all Chicagoans, including those at the new arrivals shelter, to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their communities.

The CDC is now deploying to help with the measles response at the shelter, according to ABC News station WLS-TV. This will likely include monitoring residents for symptoms and offering vaccines to those who are unvaccinated or undervaccinated.

Officials told WLS that 13% of shelter residents remain unvaccinated while those recently vaccinated have been encouraged to quarantine at the shelter for 21 days.

The CDC currently recommends two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine with the first dose given between ages 12 to 15 months and the second dose between ages 4 and 6. Adults are eligible to receive one dose of the vaccine if they are not immune.

The MMR vaccine is required to attend Chicago Public Schools but parents are allowed to seek exemptions for religious reasons, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Why this state is lagging behind the rest of the US in routine childhood vaccinations
CDPH Commissioner Olusimbo “Simbo” Ige said recently that the risk to most people is low because the majority of Chicagoans are vaccinated against measles, but urged those aren’t vaccinated to do as soon as possible.

The vaccine “is by far the best protection against measles, which for the first time in years is in our city,” Ige said. “Because of how contagious measles is, I anticipate seeing more cases. Should you be exposed to someone who has measles, if you are not vaccinated you need to immediately quarantine and call a health provider. If you are not sure of your vaccination status, stay home and call your health provider as soon as possible.”

The CDC did not immediately reply to ABC News’ request for comment. The CDPH pointed ABC News to its latest press release in response to a request for comment.

Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, but pockets of unvaccinated or undervaccinated communities have led to sporadic outbreaks over the last several years.

As of March 7, 2025, 45 measles cases have been reported in 16 states — California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington — according to the CDC.

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