Officials with the Virginia Department of Health are working to notify individuals who travelled through Washington Dulles International Airport on April 23-24 in response to a confirmed case of measles for an out-of-state resident who travelled internationally.
Those who may have been exposed were passengers on specific flights and those who may have been in Concourse B, on transportation between the concourse and baggage claim between 10:30 p.m. on April 23 and 1:30 a.m. on April 24.
Additional exposure sites in Virginia will be posted to the VDH measles website. Exposure sites have also been identified in Washington and Maryland.
The most likely time you would become sick would be between April 30 and May 15.
Most people in Virginia have immunity to measles through vaccination, so the risk to the general public is low.
To date in 2026, Virginia has 21 reported cases of measles.
Exposure to measles
Anyone who was at the potential exposure sites at the times listed should:
- Report your exposure to VDH by completing this short survey. Public health officials will follow up with respondents if additional actions are needed.
- Find out if you have been vaccinated for measles or have had measles previously. Make sure you are up to date with the recommended number of measles (MMR) vaccinations.
- To check your immunization status, call your healthcare provider or request records through the VDH record request portal.
If you have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or were born before 1957, you are considered protected and do not need to seek post-exposure treatment at this time.
Symptoms of measles
Watch for symptoms of measles for 21 days after the potential exposure. Monitoring for symptoms is especially important for people who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles.
Measles symptoms usually appear in two stages.
In the first stage, most people have:
- a fever of greater than 101 degrees
- runny nose
- watery red eyes
- cough
These symptoms usually start seven to 14 days after being exposed.
The second stage starts three to five days after symptoms start, when a rash begins to appear on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.
People with measles are contagious from four days before the rash appears through four days after the rash appeared.
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Crystal Graham
