Public health officials on Monday said three more cases of measles were confirmed in suburban Cook County.
That diagnosis brings the total number of confirmed cases in Cook County to nine. All but one are associated with the KinderCare in Palatine that is at the center of last week's outbreak.
A spokesperson with the Illinois Department of Public Health confirmed one case is a Chicago infant who is associated with KinderCare. The eight other cases involve suburban residents -- two adults and six children -- all of whom were unvaccinated, according to Amy Poore with the Cook County Department of Public Health.
The one case not linked to the day care center was an adult who last month was the state's first confirmed diagnosis.
Doctors last week said there was no link between the first case and the KinderCare cases, and no link to any of them with the multi-state outbreak associated with Disneyland.
"The solution to ending measles is simple – get vaccinated," said Illinois Department of Public Health director Nirav Shah. "The vaccine is 97 percent effective upon receipt of two doses. But the vaccine alone doesn’t provide protection; it is the vaccination that will prevent disease. I urge everyone who is eligible to receive the vaccine to get vaccinated."
KinderCare Learning Centers said it would require measles vaccinations for staff members who work with infants too young to be vaccinated starting Monday.
A KinderCare spokesman said the vaccination was not previously a requirement, but officials are in the process of notifying parents and staff at facilities in 39 states that it will be required for those working with children under the age of 15 months.
The company said it will also encourage teachers to get vaccinated as well. They also plan to limit access to the infant rooms, and rooms with unvaccinated children, to parents or other adults dropping off or picking up an infant and immunized caregivers and field management personnel.
