State health officials are watching out for signs of an outbreak and warning residents about potential exposure to measles after an out-of-state visitor with the virus spent time in Massachusetts earlier this month.
“We’re always concerned about the potential for an outbreak of a highly contagious disease like measles,” said Dr. Larry Madoff, medical director in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences. “Even a single case introduced into a susceptible population can quickly become an outbreak where numerous secondary cases arise. That’s what we’re trying to prevent here.”
Madoff said that as of Wednesday, Massachusetts has not had a confirmed measles case so far in 2025.
“We want to remind people about the importance of measles vaccination and we also want to alert people who may have been exposed,” said Madoff.
Health Department officials confirmed Wednesday that the out-of-state visitor was diagnosed with measles and spent time in Boston and Westborough.
In an advisory, the agency said that on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m., the unnamed visitor arrived at Boston Logan airport from Dallas-Forth Worth on American Airlines flight 2384, then stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough.
The visitor left the state on Dec. 12 at 9:19 p.m., flying from Logan to Las Vegas on JetBlue flight 117.
Madoff said measles typically has an incubation period of 10 to 12 days, “so, this would just about now be the time when people who were exposed to this case could be getting symptoms for measles,” he said. Madoff added that the incubation period could extend up to 21 days, and those who think they may have been exposed should check their vaccination status.
DPH said in its advisory the agency is working the federal and state agencies to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles by this individual.
The advisory comes as vaccinations for measles and other conditions have been in the political spotlight. Earlier this year, a key vaccination advisory committee for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance suggesting that a joint vaccine that immunizes against measles and chickenpox shouldn’t be recommended for children under the age of 4 because of a small risk for febrile seizures in that age group. The committee, which falls under the federal Department of Health and Human Services, was recently restaffed with new appointments by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic.
The CDC reported on their website that as of 12 p.m. Dec. 23, a total of 2,012 confirmed measles cases were reported across the country.
Health officials elsewhere, including in Virginia and Colorado, issued similar warnings of exposure the last several days as visitors travel through various major airports for the winter holiday season. Other states, like Texas, Utah and South Carolina, have already confirmed multiple cases.
In Massachusetts, Health Department officials advised that the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the state’s vaccination rate is high. Still, due to the increase in measles cases nationally, the agency recommends anyone who has not been vaccinated or does not know their measles immunization status to contact their healthcare provider to get vaccinated with at least one dose of the MMR vaccine.
Madoff and other officials drew a tie between the nationwide uptick in cases and a decrease in vaccination rates. Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein said the increase in measles serves as a reminder about the “critical role” of vaccination.
“While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths,” Goldstein said in a statement. “Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving.”
Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, commissioner of Public Health for the city of Boston, echoed the emphasis with a point to the high-traffic season.
“With multiple measles outbreaks across the country and increased travel around the holidays, now is an important time to ensure that you and your family are protected,” she said.
