Measles In NW Burbs

By Margaret Lyons in News on Jun 23, 2008 8:52PM

Six kids in the northwest suburbs have contracted measles, so the Cook County Department of Public Health is reminding everyone that "vaccinations are the safest and most effective means to prevent serious illness."

Measles is highly contagious—90 percent of susceptible contacts become infected—and in developed nations, about 1 in 1,000 measles patients dies from the infection; in developing countries, that rate can be as high as 1 in 4. Around 1 million children die from measles every year. [CDC, NBC 5]