Possible measles outbreak at Washington DC airports
If you have flown through Washington, D.C., since January 3, you might have been exposed to measles.
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Georgia health officials this week confirmed the state’s first case of measles since 2020, one of several such outbreaks around the country, many of which are linked to international travel.
The state’s public health department said Thursday that an unvaccinated resident of the Atlanta region traveled out of the country and was exposed to the highly contagious virus. Measles is preventable with a vaccine. Health officials are working to identify anyone who may have had contact with the infectious person, according to a department news release. Officials did not provide information about the infected person’s age, travel history or the locations the person visited in the Atlanta area.
Earlier this week, health officials in Virginia and Washington, D.C., warned there was also a confirmed case of measles involving a person who had traveled through Dulles International Airport on Jan. 3 and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Jan. 4. And health officials in Philadelphia were trying to isolate a measles outbreak earlier this month, with nine cases confirmed.
Am I at risk of getting measles?
If you’ve been vaccinated, you don’t have to worry.
People with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and older people with immunity aren’t susceptible to the virus, but unvaccinated people are at serious risk of illness if they get the disease.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about a fifth of people in the U.S. with measles will be hospitalized. About 1 in 1,000 people with measles develop brain swelling that can lead to brain damage, and 1 to 3 out of 1,000 will die.
How does measles spread?
The big concern with measles is that you don’t have to be face-to-face with a person to catch it. You can be exposed to measles long after a person with measles has left the room.
Measles spreads via tiny aerosolized droplets, typically after an infected person coughs or sneezes. Direct contact isn’t needed. The virus can stay around a room, in the air or on surfaces, for up to two hours.
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Symptoms can include high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes appearing a week or two after exposure to the virus. After a few days, a reddish or more pigmented rash develops, first at the hairline and then spreading to the neck, trunk, arms and legs.
Who can get the measles vaccine?
The MMR vaccine is safe and effective in a two-dose series that begins just after a baby turns 1 year old. The second dose is administered when the child is ages 4 to 6. Immunity with the full regimen is about 98%, Georgia officials said.
Georgia’s measles vaccination rate among kindergarten students is 88%, according to recent data. The state’s vaccination rate among children is declining.
In Washington, D.C., the vaccination rate is 87.5%. About 93% of Philadelphia children are vaccinated against measles.
On the heels of the state’s first infection in years, Georgia officials urged residents with measles symptoms to contact health providers immediately but cautioned people against going to a doctor’s office, hospital or public health clinic without first calling to alert staff about symptoms of measles. Providers who suspect a patient has measles should immediately notify the state public health department, officials said.
Philadelphia measles outbreak hits day care
Philadelphia health officials were working to isolate measles cases this month after a family traveled abroad and their infant, who was unvaccinated, contracted the virus in December. They took the child to a children’s hospital, where three children in adjacent rooms caught measles. One of the infected children then visited a day care, infecting two other children. Health officials were worried about subsequent exposures in several health facilities across the Philadelphia area.
Health officials continue to emphasize that the disease is fully preventable if people get vaccinated.
In November, a CDC report found the overall percentage of children with a vaccine exemption reached its highest rate ever in the 2022-23 school year. The national coverage of the MMR vaccine was 93.1%, meaning about 250,000 kindergartners nationwide are at risk of measles.
Dr. Debi Johnson is a medical expert and health journalist dedicated to promoting well-being. With a background in medicine, she offers evidence-based insights into health trends and wellness practices. Beyond her reporting, Dr. Debi enjoys hiking, yoga, and empowering others to lead healthier lives.
