Virginia health officials say they have identified a measles case in a preschool-age child in Northern Virginia.
The child is somewhere between the ages of 0 to 4 years old, according to th Virginia Department of Health (VDH), and recently traveled internationally. Officials say the case is unrelated to another reported in a Northern Virginia child Jan. 11.
Here’s where and when health officials say people may have been exposed:
- PM Pediatric Urgent Care, located at 2690 Prince William Parkway in Woodbridge – Tuesday, Jan. 13 from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Inova Children’s Emergency Department, located at 3300 Gallows Road in Falls Church -Thursday, Jan. 15 from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday, Jan. 16 from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Inova Fairfax Hospital Women’s and Children’s Building, Floors 2-10, located at 3300 Gallows Road in Falls Church – Saturday, Jan. 17 at 2:30 a.m. to Sunday, Jan. 18 at 5 p.m.
Measles is considered highly contagious and can be spread through the air when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs, VDH said in a release. It is also preventable with the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine.
This is Virginia’s third reported case of measles in 2026, two of which were in Northern Virginia and another in Central Virginia, according to the VDH measles dashboard. All three cases were in children between the ages of 0 and 4.
The U.S. is currently on the verge of losing its measles elimination status.
What to do if you’re exposed
Anyone who has not received a measles containing vaccine — either the the measles, mumps,
and rubella (MMR) vaccine or a measles only vaccine — is at risk for contracting measles. People who fall into this category and have been exposed should contact their health care provider, VDH said.
Anyone who has had two doses of a measles containing vaccine or was born before 1957 is considered protected and does not need to take any action, according to health officials.
People who have only received one dose should still be protected but should talk to their healthcare provider about getting a second one in order to reach the highest possible level of protection, VDH said.
Virginia residents who want to check their immunization status should call their healthcare provider or request their vaccination records through the VDH Immunization Record Request Form. For any additional questions about potential exposure, Virginia residents are encouraged to email epi_response@vdh.virginia.gov or contact their local health department.
Immunocompromised people who may have been exposed should check with their doctor, VDH said, especially if symptoms start to develop.
While 95% of kindergarteners in Virginia are vaccinated against measles, health officials said, infants are too young to be vaccinated and are at particularly high risk.
People who are at risk and have been exposed should watch out for symptoms for 21 days after the exposure. If symptoms appear, isolate immediately and then call your healthcare provider, VDH said. If it is necessary to see the healthcare provider in person or go to the emergency room, call ahead of time so they can protect staff and other patients.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of measles develop over two stages.
The first stage typically begins seven to 14 days after exposure. Here are some common symptoms, according to VDH:
- Fever over 101 degrees
- Runny nose
- Red, watery eyes
- Cough
The second stage starts three to five days after the initial symptoms begin and is marked by a rash on the face, which then spreads to the rest of the body.
A person with measles is contagious from four days before this rash appears until four days after it appeared, according to VDH.
