IDPH Rolls Out New Measles Simulator Dashboard to Empower School Officials to Protect Students and Staff from Outbreaks

New Measles Dashboard Makes it Easier for General Public to Look up Vaccination Rates School-by-school Throughout Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – With cases of measles being reported in more than 20 jurisdictions around the United States, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has unveiled a new data dashboard to help school officials and members of the public assess the potential severity of any outbreaks of measles, should one occur in Illinois. The new Measles Outbreak Simulator Dashboard makes it easy for the public to find out the measles vaccination rate in any school in Illinois, public or private, and to determine the risk of a child being exposed to measles if a case is introduced in their school.

Illinois has had no reported cases of measles since an outbreak in Chicago in early 2024 and there are currently no active measles outbreak investigations in Illinois. However, IDPH officials are closely monitoring an outbreak in Texas and New Mexico that has resulted in more than 530 confirmed cases, including three deaths, two of them children.

“IDPH continues to work closely with our local public health and health care partners as we prepare for any potential measles cases in Illinois,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra.  “The Department is building on the lessons we learned from our successful measles response in 2024 by ensuring that our residents have access to meaningful information to guide their decision-making.  Our new dashboard provides the public with the ability to review the measles vaccination rates in their child’s school and its risk for an outbreak.  Two doses of measles vaccines are 97% effective in preventing measles.  I recommend that our Illinois residents make sure that they and their family members are up to date on the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine and all other age-appropriate immunizations.”  

“Vaccination is the most effective tool we have to prevent the spread of measles and protect the health of our students,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. “We are grateful to IDPH for equipping school leaders, parents, and the public with clear, actionable data to assess measles risk and plan proactively. I encourage every school administrator to explore this resource to support families in staying informed and up to date on vaccinations.”

The dashboard provides predictions, projections and estimates for the size and spread of a measles outbreak in individual Illinois schools from Pre-K through 12^th grade using 2023-2024 school vaccination and enrollment data and additional model parameters. The dashboard will be updated with the 2024-25 school year data as soon as that becomes available in the near future.

School administrators and staff are encouraged to use this dashboard to aid their decisions around measles outbreak prevention and control in their individual schools. This simulator was inspired by the University of Texas, Austin, epiEngage Measles Outbreak Simulator.

Most Illinois residents received the measles vaccine in childhood, which provides strong, long-lasting protection. This means the risk of getting measles is very low for the vast majority of people.

According to the CDC, one dose of measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine is 93% effective against measles and two doses are 97% effective in protection from measles. However, for those who are not vaccinated, measles is more contagious than most other infections.  Measles is easily spread through the air when someone coughs or sneezes.  And measles can cause serious and long-term complications, including pneumonia and swelling of the brain.

IDPH stresses the importance of ensuring everyone in your family is up to date on their immunizations. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination rates in the United States have dropped, increasing the likelihood of more cases of vaccine-preventable diseases. Individuals can protect themselves and their communities by doing their part and ensuring their families are up to date on all recommended vaccines.