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MEASLES ALERT (updated: June 16, 2025)
A person with measles visited Boston on June 7-8, 2025. They are known to have visited at a minimum:
- Westin Boston Seaport District Hotel (including restaurants): June 7 at 5:30 PM to June 8 at 1:30 PM.
- The Museum of Fine Arts: June 8 from 1:00 - 6:30 PM.
- Logan Airport Terminal C: June 8 from 5:00 - 11:15 PM.
Measles, considered one of the most highly contagious diseases, begins with flu-like symptoms and is followed by a red, blotchy rash. In people with darker skin, the rash may appear brown or dark purple. Symptoms typically appear 7 to 21 days after exposure.
People who are not vaccinated against measles and who may have been exposed are urged to contact their healthcare provider.
Measles is spread very easily by air and direct contact. Simply being in the same room with someone who has measles is sufficient to become infected. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours. If you are in a store, classroom, or bus where someone with measles has been, you can contract it.
If you have not yet received the measles vaccine, you are at risk for developing this disease. Usually about 8-12 days (but up to 21 days) after exposure, measles begins with a mild to moderate fever accompained by cough, runny nose, and red eyes. Two or three days later, the fever spikes, often as high as 104-105°F. At the same time, a red blotchy rash appears, usually first on the face, hairline, and behind the ears, then quickly spreads to the chest, back, thighs, and feet. One in every 20 people with measles develops pneumonia. More rarely, hearing loss or life-threatening complications such as brain swelling (encephalitis) can occur.
Please contact University Health Services at (617) 287-5660 with any concerns. If you are not fully vaccinated (two doses of measles vaccine), you can get vaccinated at UHS on Mondays - Fridays 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM.
For more information about measles, please visit:
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