A preschooler in Northern Virginia has measles, prompting health alerts for potential exposures in Virginia on Jan. 7 and 9.
FORT BELVOIR, Va. — Virginia health officials say a preschool-age child in the Northern Region has been diagnosed with measles.
The child, who is between 0 and 4 years old, recently traveled internationally, authorities say. To protect the patient’s privacy, health officials will not release any additional details about the child, but they are notifying the public of potential exposures.
Anyone who was at the Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center Emergency Department in Fort Belvoir on Jan. 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 10 p.m. to midnight was potentially exposed, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
In addition, Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 175 from William H. Gray III 30th Street Station in Philadelphia to Washington Union Station, which arrived at 11:30 p.m. Jan. 7, was potentially exposed.
Anyone who was at the potential exposure sites at the times listed should find out if they have been vaccinated for measles or have had measles previously, health officials said. To check their immunization status, people can contact their doctor or access records through the VDH Record Request Portal. Anyone who has received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine or was born before 1957 is considered protected.
Anyone who might be exposed and is at risk should watch for symptoms of measles for 21 days after the potential exposure. The most likely time people exposed by the above patient would become sick would be Jan. 16-30.
Anyone who notices symptoms of measles should stay home and contact their health are provider right away.
This is the second measles case in Virginia in 2026. The first was a patient in the Central Region.
Measles is easily spread through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. In the first stage of symptoms, most people have a fever greater than 101 degrees, runny nose, watery red eyes, and a cough. Those symptoms start seven to 14 days after being exposed. Three to five days after the initial symptoms, 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 it appears.