After two measles cases were reported so far this year in the county, the Kane County Health Department is offering free measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccinations through Sept. 25 — regardless of individuals’ insurance status.
The vaccines are being offered at the health department’s Aurora office at 1240 N. Highland Ave. from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to the county health department’s executive director Michael Isaacson.
There have been more than a dozen measles cases in Illinois so far in 2026, a year that has already seen nationwide numbers exceed the total tally for the year prior.
The two recent cases in Kane County were its first since 2019, and two of just four cases reported in the county in the past roughly 30 years.
Measles is considered one of the most contagious viruses known to medicine. The disease can spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Symptoms can include high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash that often begins on the head and then spreads.
The first individual reported to have measles in the county this year was an unvaccinated student at Kaneland High School in Maple Park. The possibility of others being exposed ultimately prompted the school to shift to a day of online learning less than two weeks into the new school year.
The county’s second case was a contact of the first case, which generated up to 1,600 potential exposures, per the health department. This second individual was vaccinated against the illness.
Both individuals are no longer infectious, according to the health department.
Now, with the holiday season approaching in a couple of months and thousands of cases of the illness reported across the country, the health department is urging residents to get vaccinated if they aren’t already.
“Choosing to be vaccinated against measles protects more than just one person,” Isaacson said in a news release. “It helps protect babies who are too young to be vaccinated, pregnant individuals, people with weakened immune systems and others in our community who may face much more serious consequences if they become infected.”
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While measles infection can still occur in a vaccinated person, two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles, the health department said in a news release Wednesday. When a vaccinated person does develop measles, those cases tend to be milder with fewer complications, and vaccinated people who develop the illness may be less likely to spread the virus to others.
However, the vaccine is not routinely recommended for infants under a year old, people who are pregnant and those who are severely immunocompromised, the health department said, noting that high vaccination coverage among the people around them provides a layer of protection.
The county health department will be offering free MMR vaccination through Sept. 25, the news release said. The health department is encouraging those who are unvaccinated, not fully vaccinated or unsure of their vaccination status to review their immunization records and talk with a healthcare provider about whether they need the vaccine.
The Associated Press contributed.