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player ready...That little childhood vaccination card you tucked away might suddenly become very important.
That’s because a single measles case can turn an ordinary work day into a paperwork scramble – which is what staff at Kaneland High School in Maple Park found out last week when they had to prove immunization against a virus most of us assumed was a relic of long-ago childhoods.
After a student who was not vaccinated tested positive for measles, the school went to e-learning for a day while health officials worked to identify those who may have been exposed and verify who had immunity, officials said.
The experience was no day in the park for anyone at the high school. But it is a good reminder why adults should be able to quickly prove their immunization, “no matter where you work,” said Kane County Health Department Executive Director Michael Isaacson, who at age 52 keeps his own record from childhood in a file, along with other important documents such as his Social Security card.
Plenty of us, however, aren’t that prepared. Fortunately for me and others born before 1957, we have “presumptive evidence of immunity” because measles was so widespread before the vaccine was introduced in 1963 that coverage is assumed. But the vast majority of employees these days would not qualify. And verbal recollection of getting those vaccines is not enough, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One Kaneland teacher I spoke with, concerned that trying to get the paperwork could lead to a lot of red tape, paid for a blood test to prove immunity, although Isaacson said the county was doing this lab work for free so the process “would be less disruptive.” Over 90% of Kaneland staff produced their records – with a few born before 1957 – and the rest, he added, had their blood drawn.
From a public health perspective, the goal in dealing with a communicable disease is not only to control it but to “get back to normal” as quickly as possible, Isaacson said. That’s why access to immunization records is a “conversation” that needs to take place, especially now that measles, which was declared eliminated in 2000, is making a comeback.
The current numbers are hard to dismiss. According to the CDC, as of Aug. 27, 2,903 measles cases were confirmed in the United States in 2026, already far more more than the 2,289 cases reported in 2025. And this “isn’t simply a matter of a child feeling lousy for a week and developing a rash,” said Isaacson, noting that “it’s not a big deal” is a frustrating comment public health officials often hear.
According to the CDC, about one in five unvaccinated people who contract measles in the U.S. are hospitalized, and about one in every 1,000 children who get the virus develop encephalitis or swelling of the brain, which can cause permanent brain damage. Measles can also cause pneumonia and death, and is especially dangerous for babies and young children.
The reason some people can convince themselves measles isn’t particularly dangerous, Isaacson said, is that for decades, high vaccination rates have provided a protective wall around communities. But that wall is showing weak spots, with CDC data showing kindergarten measles, mumps and rubella – or MMR – vaccination exemptions going up 3.6% from the previous year.
That may not sound like a dramatic increase, but measles is so contagious that pockets of unvaccinated people can provide an opening for an outbreak. That’s particularly concerning in preschools, where the number of parents choosing not to vaccinate their children “has doubled over the past decade,” Isaacson told me, while also acknowledging what a “sensitive issue” this has become.
“No parent wants their child to be sick, and are trying to make the best choices for their kids,” he said. But good choices “require good information, which is getting harder to do with the internet, and particularly social media,” spreading false claims and misconceptions.
“When your child gets vaccinated, you’re not only protecting your child but the entire community,” insisted Isaacson.
“The threat to the general public is incredibly low,” he said, noting the Kaneland case was the fifth this year in Illinois (a sixth case downstate was recently announced). But it’s when the numbers are small that health officials have the best opportunity to contain it.
On its website, Kaneland School District, citing federal privacy laws, noted it is not disclosing any health or personnel information about the situation, and refers to its “close coordination” with the Kane County Health Department and Illinois Department of Public Heath.
“Working with Kaneland has been a blessing” because of a 97.5% student vaccination rate and the quick action of administration and school nurses that resulted in only one day of e-learning, said Isaacson. Another positive side note: Over 90% of Kaneland High staff were able to produce their records – with a few born before 1957 – and the rest had their blood drawn.
Unfortunately, he warned, we will see more of these cases throughout our communities. Which is why, when it comes to a case being made for immunization documentation, Isaacson’s suggestion is simple: “Just make sure you can provide it.”