Emerging Issues & Outbreaks
Stay Up-to-Date with Emerging Issues and Outbreaks in Illinois
ICAAP is dedicated to keeping our pediatric health care provider community up-to-date on the latest issues affecting the health and well-being of children and families in Illinois. Refer to the updates and resources below to better support your response efforts.
To submit a media request or if you are media, please get in touch with us via email.
Communicable Diseases
Blueprint for Pandemic Readiness
Important Communications
Recent Health Alerts
Here you will find relevant alerts from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), The National American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- October 22, 2025: CDPH HAN - Update on Measles Activity in the Chicago Area and U.S.
- October 3, 2025: CDPH HAN - Chicago Mpox Outbreak
- September 23, 2025: IDPH SIREN - Dear Colleague Letter from Dr. Vohra
- September 23, 2025: IDPH SIREN- Fall Viral Respiratory Season Guidance
- September 23, 2025: IDPH SIREN- COVID-19 Vaccine Statewide Standing Order
- September 18, 2025: CDPH HAN - Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo
- September 17, 2025: IDPH SIREN - Interim Work Exclusion Guidance for Health Care Personnel with COVID-19, Influenza, and Other Acute Respiratory Viral Infections
- September 16, 2025: CCDPH Press Release - Cook County Confirms Measles Case
- September 12, 2025: State of Illinois Newsroom - Gov. Pritzker Issues Executive Order to Protect Life-Saving Immunization Access for Illinoisans
- September 11, 2025: AAP News - California child dies from measles-related complications
- September 10, 2025: Chicago HAN - Increased Leptospirosis Cases in Chicago
- September 2, 2025: IDPH SIREN - FDA Suspends Biologics License for IXCHIQ (Chikungunya Vaccine, Live)
- August 28, 2025: IDPH SIREN - Immediate Action Required: 2024–2025 COVID-19 Vaccines under Emergency Use Authorization are No Longer Authorized | 2025-2026 COVID-19 Vaccines Receive FDA Approval
- August 18, 2025: IDPH SIREN - Surge of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease
- August 12, 2025: Chicago HAN - First 2025 Human Cases of West Nile Virus
Measles Resources
Measles Outreach & Tools from the AAP
Review the AAP’s recommendations for measles vaccination, available vaccines, vaccine storage guidance, and patient outreach materials.
Measles Frequently Asked Questions from the AAP
Get answers about immunocompromised patients, infectious disease control, testing, treatment, timing and more with this Measles FAQ provided by the AAP
Use these tools and resources provided by the AAP to promote timely measles vaccination and combating misinformation. Share these messages on your own social networks using these prepared posts to remind families about why the protecting themselves from Measles is important.
Measles Infection Control Measures
Preventing the Spread of Measles in Healthcare Settings
Know the signs of measles so you can diagnose cases early and help patients quarantine properly; take proper patient isolation measures; follow cleaning protocol; and help educate other health care providers using our new infection control resources including:
Health Care Provider Cleaning Checklist
Maintaining the appropriate cleaning and disinfecting protocols before and after patient visits is one way to prevent the spread of measles in your facility. Use this checklist to keep you, your team, and your patients safe before, during, and after exams with patients presenting with measles symptoms.
4 Steps to Keeping Your team, Your Patients, and Yourself Safe from the Measles
Learn the symptoms of the measles, get tips on how to remotely triage suspected cases, get guidance on appropriate recommendations, and learn how to report cases to the correct parties for further investigation and source tracking with this easy reference guide.
Sharable Measles Vaccine Social Posts for Clinicians
Reach your patients wherever they are with approachable, friendly, and easy to share social media posts designed to drive confidence in measles vaccination. In these uncertain times, it's more important than ever to share fact- and evidenced-based information to combat mis- and disinformation. Get started by sharing these posts today!
Patient Facing Materials:
-
- Measles Myths vs. Facts
- Measles and the Vaccine (Shot) to Prevent It
- Healthychildren.org: How to Protect Your Children During a Measles Outbreak and Protecting Your Baby From a Measles Outbreak FAQ
- Awaiting Measles Test Results Handout
- Measles isn't just a little rash
- Cook County Department of Public Health Measles Communication Toolkit
- Do You Need A Measles Vaccine?
Clinical Resources:
- Measles: symptoms, spread & SSPE | Doctors Talk | Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia - YouTube
- AAP Red Book Online Webinars
- Have You Ever Diagnosed Measles? - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- Measles one-pager from Project Firstline (AAP)
- Red Book Online Outbreaks: Measles
- CDC Measles Cases and Outbreaks Tracking
- Measles PEP Chart from the City of New York
- Tips for reading international vaccine records from ICAAP
Receive Important Communications
Self-register for SIREN (State of Illinois Rapid Electronic Notification) to receive important notifications from IDPH. Select IDPH and then you can select your hospital/clinic or select IDPH > Select Organization > Expand DPH Partners List > Select DPH Pediatricians
Please note that SIREN has recently changed platforms and may require additional steps to ensure you are able to receive all communications. Review instructions from Juvare, which is the SIREN platform's vendor and is a trusted/secure resource.
Sign up for alerts from the CDC Emergency Preparedness and Responses.
Updates on Medicaid and coverage for children can be found on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website.
Self-register for the Chicago Department of Public Health's Health Alert Network (HAN).
Blueprint for Pediatric-Specific Readiness in Pandemics & Disasters
This must-read report provides recommendations on how to ensure children’s physical and mental health care needs are considered in planning for pandemics, disasters and public health emergencies. Children have unique physical, mental and social needs that differ from adults, and there are opportunities to ensure these considerations are included in future pandemic and disaster planning. The recommendations in the blueprint report incorporate the results of a May 2023 online survey developed in partnership with FTI Consulting and completed by over 40 CHA members and Pediatric Pandemic Network (PPN) participants. The report also includes documented insights from a range of experts working in pediatric medicine, pediatric disaster response, pharmacy and supply chain issues and more.