A Santa Clara County resident who was exposed to measles visited San Francisco International Airport, Trader Joe’s in San Jose on Coleman Avenue and International Halal Market on E. Santa Clara Street on June 8.
The resident was at SFO from 8:30 to 11 a.m. and at Trader Joe’s and International Halal Market between 8 and 10 p.m. The county’s health department is asking people who may have stopped at any of those locations during the mentioned hours to report any symptoms.
“We want members of the public to be aware if you were in those locations at these times to be aware of possible exposure especially if you’re pregnant, an infant or have compromised immunity or are unvaccinated,” said Dr. Sarah Rodman, Santa Clara County’s public health officer.
UCSF Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Peter Chin-Hong said there is an increase in measles cases across the United States.
“A lot of this is fueled by the increase in exemptions that people are getting for being vaccinated at the kindergarten level,” Chin-Hong said.
Chin-Hong estimates 5-10% of Californians are not vaccinated for measles.
As visitors from all over the world arrive for events such as the World Cup, concerns arise for health professionals and citizens.
“I wish people who could get vaccinated for preventable disease would do so for everybody,” said Teresa Perkins, who shops at the San Jose Trader Joe’s location that was exposed.
According to Chin-Hong, measles is one of the most transmissible infectious diseases. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash, which can appear 7 to 21 days after exposure.
Chin-Hong said the risk of getting sick is low if you have received your two-dose measles vaccine.
Santa Clara County Public Health said no new cases of measles have been reported since the June 8 public exposure.