Health officials say a Northern Virginian with the measles may have exposed others to the virus in Fairfax County last week.
Eight Virginians have come down with measles in 2026. The latest case involves an adult who possibly exposed others to the virus in Fairfax County last week, according to Virginia health officials who said the infected person had recently traveled internationally.
The Virginia Department of Health has warned anyone who was around the patient that they could be at risk of developing the virus, especially those who are too young to get the vaccine or are otherwise unvaccinated.
These are the possible exposure sites and times:
- Giant Food, located at 8941 Ox Road in Lorton, between 3:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11.
- Inova-GoHealth Urgent Care, Lorton Marketplace, located at 9427 Lorton Market St. in Lorton, between 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13.
- Inova HealthPlex Lorton Emergency Room, located at 9321 Sanger St. in Lorton, between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14.
With there being several other cases in Virginia so far this year, several of those patients also spent time in D.C. and possibly exposed others.
While the most recent case of measles in Virginia was confirmed to be in an adult, most of the earlier cases have involved children age 4 or under.
Almost all of the patients are Northern Virginia residents — with just one of the eight cases involving a resident of Central Virginia.
What to watch for if you may have been exposed
Anyone who may have been exposed to measles in Virginia is asked to fill out this survey from the health department. Health officials will reach out if you need to take any additional steps.
People are considered to be protected against the measles if they’ve received two doses of a measles vaccine or were born before 1957, according to health officials.
If you’re not sure of your vaccine status, you can check for vaccination records with a health care provider or through an online portal if you are from Virginia.
If you were potentially exposed and are not fully vaccinated, health officials recommend you contact your local health department. There are post-exposure treatments available in certain scenarios, under a certain amount of time.
Symptoms could appear up to 21 days after a measles exposure. In this case, the most likely time frame to get sick is between Feb. 18 and March.
Anyone who is exposed to measles and notices symptoms of the virus should stay home and contact a health care provider, according to the Virginia health department.
Early symptoms of measles include a rash, a runny nose, watery eyes, a cough and a fever over 101 degrees. Those symptoms typically show about a week or two after getting exposed.
While it’s a telltale sign of the measles, the rash oftentimes doesn’t show up until three to five days after those initial symptoms.
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