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Health officials are issuing a serious warning: If you have the measles, stay away from travel this holiday season. And if you are not vaccinated, due to any reason, you should absolutely not travel.
A measles scare has popped up at not one, not two, but five different major US airports in the last few weeks, prompting the CDC and other health departments to scramble in order to keep up with it.
This December, peak travel time for so many holidays, is the final moment in what has been the worst year for measles in over 20 years. The CDC has reported that 1,276 cases of the infectious diseases have been reported since January in nearly every US state.
If you’re flying this holiday season, be aware that even if you avoid these specific airports, there’s no guarantee you’re going to avoid interacting with someone who has contracted measles.
Chicago’s O’Hare airport is the latest to suffer. The CDC was able to track down information that someone with measles traveled through at least two terminals within a two-week span – probably someone either coming or going from this major hub.
Similar stories are popping up in Richmond, Virginia; Austin, Texas; Los Angeles, California and Denver, Colorado.
An unidentified person is believed to have contracted the measles while traveling to Europe and came into the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The airport is such a dangerous place to be while infectious because so many people are going to so many different places.
It’s one of the fastest ways to spread diseases just like this.
Three unvaccinated children were visiting New Zealand in December and likely exposed countless travelers in an airport in Denver and Los Angeles in the US alone, ignoring the international repercussions.
The CDC says that there is little worry if you have had your measles vaccine, and all of your paperwork is up to date.
If you believe that you may have been exposed to the measles, you need to contact your doctor and make sure that your vaccination records are up to date to keep yourself safe. If you are not able to be vaccinated for health reasons and have traveled recently, be on the lookout for symptoms of measles.
These include rashes, a hacking cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a high fever. Contact your doctor right away and stay away from all major public areas. Measles is spread by coughing and sneezing and is incredibly contagious. 9 out of 10 people who are not vaccinated will contract measles if they are around an infected person.
