Measles Outbreak—Chicago, 1989

AS OF AUGUST 23, 1989, 1123 confirmed cases of measles have been reported to the Chicago Department of Health. Information is available for 1019 (91%) of these cases; 799 (78%) have occurred in preschool-aged children (less than 5 years old), including 340 (33%) children less than 16 months of age (i.e., too young for routine immunization). Blacks and Hispanics have accounted for 955 (94%) of the cases. Four measles-associated fatalities have been reported.

Outbreak-control activities have included intensified surveillance and lowering of the recommended age for measles vaccination to 6 months during the outbreak, with revaccination at age 15 months for children vaccinated before the first birthday. Single-antigen measles vaccine is being used for children before the first birthday, and measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) is administered to older children. Seven new vaccination clinics have been established and have administered approximately 21,000 doses of vaccine; door-to-door vaccination teams in high-risk