Alexandria Health Department Shares Details of New Northern Virginia Measles Exposures

Alexandria Health Department (AHD) is advising residents about potential exposures to measles in northern Virginia. Full details are available in a news release from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) titled, "Virginia Health Officials Investigating a Confirmed Measles Case in Northern Region."

The patient is a preschool-age child (0-4 years) in the Northern Region who recently traveled internationally. The case is not related to the Virginia measles case reported on January 11. Virginia health officials are coordinating an effort to identify people who might have been exposed.

Listed below are the dates, times, and locations of the potential exposure sites:

• PM Pediatric Urgent Care, located at 2690 Prince William Parkway in Woodbridge
  • Tuesday, January 13 from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Inova Children's Emergency Department, located at 3300 Gallows Road in Falls Church
  • Thursday, January 15 from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
  • Friday, January 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, January 17 at 2:30 a.m. to Sunday, January 18 at 5 p.m.

Any additional exposure sites identified in Virginia will be posted to the VDH Measles website. To date in 2026, Virginia has reported three cases of measles.

What To Do

If you were exposed at the locations and times above, read the news release for instructions. Here's a summary:

• If you've had the recommended measles vaccine (like MMR) or were born before 1957: You don't need to take any special actions.
• If you were exposed, born after 1957, and are not fully vaccinated: Watch for symptoms for 21 days after you may have been exposed. If you get symptoms, stay away from others and call the doctor right away. Symptoms include:
  • Runny nose
  • Fever over 101°F
  • Cough
  • Red, watery eyes
  • Rash
• If you have a weakened immune system: Talk to your doctor for specific advice.

If you have questions about a potential exposure, email [email protected]or call the Alexandria Health Department call center at 703.746.4988 during normal business hours.

How to Check Your Measles Vaccination

Hearing about measles in our community makes many people want to know their vaccine history. The best way to know if you've gotten your recommended measles vaccines is to ask your doctor to check your vaccine record. For children, ask their pediatrician.

If you got vaccines in Virginia, you can also check online using the Virginia MMR record portal. Several other states also have similar systems.

If you haven't had the recommended vaccines, you can get the MMR shot from your doctor or a pharmacy in Virginia.

Learn more about measles, symptoms, and vaccines on the VDH Measles website.

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If you prefer communication in another language, free interpretation and translation services are available to you, please email [email protected] or call 703.746.3960.

For media inquiries only, please contact Brookie Crawford at [email protected].