A person with measles visited Boston over the weekend, health officials warned Friday, sharing a hotel, museum and airport terminal where other people may have been exposed.
The Boston Public Health Commission and Massachusetts Department of Public Health said the infected person was in the city June 7-8.
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WATCH HEREThe health agencies are working to identify and alert people who may have been exposed. They specified that people who were at the following locations at the listed times could be affected:
- Westin Boston Seaport District hotel, and the restaurants inside, between 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 7 and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 8
- The Museum of Fine Arts Boston between 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 8
- Logan Airport Terminal C between 5 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. on Sunday, June 8
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SIGN UP The person then flew to Miami on JetBlue Flight 639 on Sunday, departing at 9:12 p.m., health officials said, noting that they are working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to notify passengers who are at risk of being exposed.
People who are not vaccinated against measles who have been exposed should contact their health care provider immediately, health officials said, adding that they need to avoid public places and monitor for symptoms for 21 days, or through June 29.
Citing data from the DPH, the BPHC said 94% of children in Suffolk County are fully vaccinated against measles, explaining that it is 93% to 97% effective in preventing infection and protecting against severe disease. Boston Public Health Commissioner Dr. Bisola Ojikutu told reporters Saturday morning that the city's strong vaccination means Boston is "protected from a large measles outbreak."
"We're hopeful that we will not see many cases in this instance," she said, stressing that the Boston Public Health Commission has been preparing for a case to arrive and "hopefully protect us from any additional cases or a large outbreak."
She stressed that Health officials said measles is "a highly contagious virus that begins with flu-like symptoms, including cough, high fever, runny nose, and red, watery eyes, followed by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the face to the rest of the body." It can be spread through breathing, coughing and sneezing, and it can be contracted if surfaces are touched within two hours of an infected person being in the area.
The U.S. has seen an uptick in measles cases this year, with several states reporting outbreaks. Two unvaccinated children have died in Texas, and an unvaccinated adult died in New Mexico.
The person with measles who traveled through Boston didn't arrive at the airport or arrive from abroad, Ojikutu told reporters, but couldn't share more about where they were previously — patient health data is confidential.
The city typically gets up to two cases of measles per years, a low level she attributed to Boston's vaccination rate. She believed the last uptick in cases was in 2011, amid a statewide bump in cases of about two dozen.
Ojikutu reported that contract tracing efforts were going well with the Museum of Fine Arts, Westin and the CDC, and that guests of the MFA and hotel who may have been exposed should expect to receive a notification.
"This case of measles highlights the importance of obtaining the MMR vaccine to protect ourselves and our community. The MMR vaccine is highly effective at preventing measles infection and also protects against mumps and rubella," Ojikutu said in an earlier statement. "Children should receive the vaccine at 12-15 months of age and again before kindergarten to ensure strong immunity. Children who are at least 6 months old who are traveling internationally should receive an early dose of vaccine before traveling. It is never too late for children or adults to get the measles vaccine and for the vaccine to be effective, even if they are past the age recommended by doctors."
