CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Researchers are predicting that the next measles outbreak could be in Cook County — and a health department official here thinks it may be time to eliminate the religious exemption from the vaccination requirements.
That prediction that Cook County could be Ground Zero for the next big measles outbreak? It comes from the researchers who predicted where Zika would hit the U.S.
Why Cook County? Dr. Rachel Rubin, senior medical officer at the county's health department, said the vast majority of measles cases lately have been in travelers. And because O'Hare is a major hub for international travel, more cases come in that way.
Dr. Rubin said medical officials in Cook County — and on the state level — believe it may be time for change.
"I think we would all like the vaccination rules to be tightened up," Rubin said. "Most recently we did have the philosophical exemption removed, which I think is a great step. And then the next step would be is probably trying to tighten up on the religious exemption."
She said that could mean removing it entirely, which some states already have done.
So far this year, there have been seven measles cases in Cook County.
