A recent measles case in Pennsylvania has triggered a public health alert. The warning reached travelers who passed through New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. According to officials in Montgomery County, Pa., on February 25, 2025, an unvaccinated child arrived at JFK Airport‘s Terminal 4 on a China Airlines flight.
Around 9:30 p.m., they boarded an overnight shuttle bus bound for North Philadelphia. They arrived at their destination, the Pho Ha Saigon restaurant on Adams Avenue, at approximately 3:15 a.m. on February 26. This travel route has raised concerns about potential exposure to the virus, which can remain airborne and on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person has left an area.
Measles Alert In Pennsylvania
After arriving in Pennsylvania, the child visited True North Pediatrics Associates in Plymouth Meeting and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s King of Prussia Campus Emergency Department. Both of these locations are now considered potential exposure sites. Health officials are working diligently to contact individuals who may have been present during the child’s visits.
Montgomery County health officials have warned travelers and residents who may have come into contact with the infected child. “Identified individuals are in the process of being contacted and notified of potential exposure to measles and assessed for vaccination status and risk for infection,” the notice stated.
The United States is currently grappling with measles outbreaks across several states. In Texas, at least 145 confirmed cases have been reported since late January, tragically including one child fatality. New York City has also confirmed two unrelated measles cases. The rise in infections adds to the growing concern about the spread of this preventable disease.
Measles is renowned for its extreme contagiousness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 9 out of 10 unprotected individuals exposed to the virus will contract the disease. The disease can lead to severe complications, particularly in children. One in five unvaccinated individuals who contract measles in the U.S. requires hospitalization.
Complications can include pneumonia, which affects 1 in 20 children with measles and is the most common cause of measles-related deaths in young children. In rare cases (about 1 in 1,000), measles can cause brain swelling, a potentially fatal complication.
