A person infected with measles flew into Boston’s Logan Airport last week.
The individual arrived to Logan’s Terminal C from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a little after midnight on April 14, said the Boston Public Health Commission and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
“Measles can stay in an environment for two hours after an individual leaves that area,” said Kayty Himmelstein, the medical director for the Boston Public Health Commission’s Infectious Disease Bureau. “We are wanting to alert folks who may’ve been in the Logan Airport between midnight and 2:30 A.M. on April 14 that they may have been exposed to measles.”
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can lead to life-threatening illnesses.
Officials said they are also working with local partners to identify and notify individuals who might have been exposed.
This is the third measles case in Massachusettsthis year, including a Greater Boston resident. Before this latest case, 16 measles cases had been reported across New England since the beginning of 2024.
“This case of measles underscores the continued importance of obtaining the MMR vaccine,” said Bisola Ojikutu, Boston’s commissioner of public health. “This vaccine is the best tool we have to protect ourselves and our communities from serious illness.”
Himmelstein said two doses of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine, commonly known as MMR, are 97% effective in preventing measles.
“Out of the folks who have had the vaccine, the small number of folks who do contract measles have a much milder illness,” she said. “Getting the MMR vaccine is a great way for people to protect themselves, but also to protect our community.”
Roughly 94% of children in Suffolk County are fully vaccinated against measles, officials said.
Ojikutu said it’s recommended that children receive the vaccine at 12-15 months old and again before kindergarten.
“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,” she said.
Himmelstein said those who may have been exposed to measles should immediately check their immunity status with their health care provider.
“The other thing that everyone should do if they’ve been exposed to measles is to monitor themselves for symptoms for 21 days after their exposure,” she said. “That is through May 5.”
Measles typically begins with flu-like symptoms, including cough, high fever, runny nose, red eyes and a red, blotchy rash spreading from the face to the rest of the body.
Nearly 1,750 cases have been confirmed nationally this year as of April 16, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
