The Cook County Department of Public Health is warning of possible measles exposures for those who traveled through O’Hare International Airport’s Terminal 5 or visited two suburban stores last week.
The department said in a news release this week that an individual contagious with measles had visited Terminal 5 last week as well as a Marshalls and a Fresh Farms grocery store in Niles. The person then visited Endeavor Health Immediate Care Center in Mount Prospect on March 27.Those who visited Terminal 5 on March 24 between 10:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. may have been exposed, officials said. Potential exposures in Niles occurred on the evening of March 26.
“It’s a reminder of the importance of being vaccinated and that we are not immune to measles (in) Cook County,” said Efrat Stein, director of public health communications at the county health department.
While the county health department does not comment on individual cases, Stein said there had been no new developments since it first alerted the public.
The “dangerous and potentially deadly” disease can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infectious person has left the area, and can be transmitted in just 15 minutes of exposure, the release said.
Measles symptoms, including high fevers, watery eyes, cough, rash and runny nose, can appear up to 21 days after initial exposure. The disease can be especially dangerous for babies, small children, pregnant women and those who are immunocompromised.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,575 confirmed measles cases have been reported in the United States in 2026, four of which occurred in Illinois.
The number of U.S. measles cases has increased dramatically since Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. began scrutinizing the childhood vaccine cycle as part of his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. Nearly 4,000 people have contracted the disease since President Donald Trump’s administration took over last year. By contrast, there were 344 confirmed measles cases in 2023 and 2024 combined.
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No deaths have been caused by measles in 2026, according to the CDC. Of the individuals who contracted measles this year, 92% were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status.
The county health department is encouraging all individuals who believe they may have been exposed to measles at O’Hare, in Niles or Mount Prospect to check their vaccination status.
Unvaccinated individuals without a health provider are encouraged to contact the county health department at 312-864-1111. The Chicago Department of Public Health offers free measles vaccines at its immunization clinics. Walk-ins are welcome, but registering for appointments at Getvaxchi.chicago.gov or by phone is highly encouraged.