A child who entered the country from China last week at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York later tested positive for measles in Pennsylvania, sparking concerns about those who might have come in contact with the child.
The child, a U.S. national who was not vaccinated for measles, arrived at the airport’s Terminal 4 last week aboard a China Airlines flight and took a shuttle bus Feb. 25 to Pennsylvania, where the child tested positive at two clinics, multiple media outlets reported.
Anyone who was on the shuttle bus between 9:30 p.m. EST on Feb. 25 and 3:15 a.m. on Feb. 26 is being urged to get tested for the highly contagious disease, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, health officials said Sunday in a news release.
People who were also at a clinic in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, from 11:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. on Feb. 26, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia King of Prussia campus from 12:52 a.m. to 3:02 p.m. that day are also being advised to get tested, according to county health officials.
The measles virus can remain in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the area, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If someone breathes in the contaminated air or touches an infected surface and then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth, that person can become infected.
Symptoms can appear from seven to 14 days after contact with the virus, the CDC said. Common symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes, and a rash.
Measles can cause serious health complications, especially in children younger than 5. Common complications are ear infections and diarrhea. Serious complications include pneumonia and encephalitis.
On Feb. 19, a child arriving from South Korea at Los Angeles International Airport tested positive for measles and an outbreak in west Texas led to the first measles death in the U.S. since 2015.
According to CDC data, as of Thursday, there have been 164 measles cases in the U.S. this year, with 32 requiring hospitalization. It showed that 95% of those cases were from unvaccinated individuals.
In all of 2024, there were 285 total measles cases, with 84% of those from unvaccinated individuals, and 40% requiring hospitalization.
“Measles outbreaks are occurring globally, particularly in Asia, which means that there is an increased likelihood of cases among unvaccinated travelers returning to the U.S., which we saw in the February 19 case of an Orange County, California, resident returning from Asia,” the CDC said Friday in a news release.
“Vaccination remains the best defense against measles infection. Measles does not have a specific antiviral treatment. Supportive care, including vitamin A administration under the direction of a physician, may be appropriate.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reportedly urged parents Sunday to speak with their doctors about the benefits of the measles vaccine.
“Parents play a pivotal role in safeguarding their children’s health,” he wrote in an opinion piece for Fox News. “All parents should consult with their healthcare providers to understand their options to get the MMR vaccine.
“The decision to vaccinate is a personal one. Vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons.”
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