The measles outbreak has mostly been concentrated in Texas and New Mexico, but it has snaked its way throughout the country.

There are just over 300 known cases and 2 measles related deaths in the U.S. Chicago in Illinois currently have 0 confirmed cases so far this year.

But public health professionals say it's just a matter of time before the virus is here as well.

Joining us to discuss more is Dr Andrew de Haas Road.

The Infectious Disease Fellowship program director at the University of Chicago and practicing physician at Howard Brown Health.

Dr.

Thank you for joining us.

Of course.

Thank you for having So the measles were previously eradicated in the United States in 2000 and we have maintained that status for over 2 decades.

But now we're experiencing this outbreak.

How did we get here?

Yeah, you're actually crack.

The measles is highly contagious virus.

One of the most contagious pathogens there are around that.

>> We were able to successfully eradicate on to advance one's public health and very effective vaccines.

But over the past several years, we've been noticing declines in our vaccination rates specifically against measles, which then makes us susceptible to allow no new infections to enter our system because of the herd immunity not being there anymore.

Who's most affected?

Yeah.

So generally measles impacts young children, children and infants the most.

That's where we see the highest amounts of morbidity and even deaths related to the 2 meals or measles outcomes.

Remind us if you would sort of explain, but the his own what or how the virus present.

What are some of the center?

Yes, and uses a it said on its restaurant, violent actions airborne iris sign that typically present with upper respiratory symptoms to begin with typically cough, sore throat and to and known its path and mix with skin lesions itself.

It can lead to severe pneumonia, and that is typically the most common cause of morbidity and death, but also has a lot of post viral on syndromes.

A specific related to I'm and supplied us issues a central nervous system.

So not just an issue that happens in the acute phase of infection, but also severe side effects later So as we said, no confirmed cases this year in Chicago, the measles vaccination rate sits at 92.2% 2 people in Chicago in Illinois need to be worried.

I would say yes, I'm so while we've seen the highest cases in for the most part, you know, just this past weekend, there was 2 cases are identified in Michigan.

So it is creeping its way into the Midwest and the magic number to really think about herd immunity is 95%.

You need a 95%.

So vaccination rate to really have that to keep yourself protected.

And particularly those most vulnerable protected.

And while close, we're under that number.

And so I would not be surprised if Illinois joins I'm I number of cases that we've been seeing across the country any any reason or any thoughts about why those vaccination rates have fallen?

Yeah, I think there's longer-term issues and shorter-term issues.

I think in general think about vaccines.

I think vaccine center be a victim of their own success.

When people don't see I'm I'm folks succumb to diseases that could be preventable.

They sometimes forget about how severe these bonds And I think that has really to buy the seen declines in vaccination, not just recently, but really for the past decade or 2, which then allows us to have these outbreaks.

But 9 to the degree that we've currently so far, no was a measles outbreak in Chicago last year.

67 individuals mostly at migrant shelter in Pilsen becoming infected.

How is the city able to contain Yeah.

So we saw those infections coming largely through migrants from the Darien gap.

And we know that measles is endemic in other parts of the other parts of the world.

Unlikely these were imported cases.

And again, you think of migrant shelters are very close contacts on.

And a lot of those folks were never vaccinate or did not receive a delay to get vaccinated.

The city set up and wait in created.

Massive vaccine clinics in the shelters and made sure that, you know, those most vulnerable are able to get vaccine that outbreak stop.

And that's the only way to extinguish outbreak is to bring that vaccination backup to protective levels.

Of course, Robert F Kennedy junior recently assumed the role of the nation's health secretary.

What do you think his confirmation says about the state of public health and what it means for the work that you and your colleagues Yeah, I think it's really troubling to see that the head of HHS is somewhat of a vaccine clinic.

you know, for those of his supporters, I always say he did write an editorial this past month saying that our vaccine is the number one way to prevent a measles.

That is so even he is coming around and are saying that vaccines are the only way out of this current outbreak.

What would you tell someone who might be hesitant or nervous to vaccinate themselves or or their children or that just kind of forgetting about it.

You know, like it was good.

We eradicated measles right to there's no need to get the vaccine.

Yeah.

I always tell folks what questions do you need answered in order for you to comfortable to vaccine yourself or your loved one's?

This is a preventable illness.

>> And you know, it's there's no reason the year 2025, any individual United States ships that come from this illness itself.

And I tell my patients what questions need answered and making sure you're going to reliable places that don't have some other agenda or something else trying to sell.

You about this.

In the end, vaccines have been a these vaccines have been around since 1960's, highly safe, incredibly effective.

And again, our only way to extinguish this current outbreak.

It also sounds a little bit.

I don't know how much it might hurrican back for you to, you know that the debate over getting the COVID-19 vaccine over the last 5 years as well.

Yeah, that's more the shorter-term issues.

I think around vaccines.

I think people feel this kind of like vaccine fatigue around things.

But I will say people were, you know, jumping over each other, trying get the COVID vaccine early on.

And you think about that because people remember their loved ones dying and whatnot of COVID.

And it was shortly after when all of that memories for us really faded away that that vaccine uptake, sir lagged.

And I think we're sort of in the same situation right now.

And as the young kids say, like f around and find out, that's what's gonna happen.

If we continue to see vaccine rates decline and its unfortunately, the only way that we can potentially see