A New Jersey resident has the state’s first confirmed case of the measles in 2026, and state health officials are alerting residents to look out for symptoms of the highly contagious virus, which typically include a fever and a rash.
The Hudson County resident was diagnosed with measles after returning from an international trip, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. The department said travelers who passed through Newark Airport on April 14 between 5:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. could have been exposed.
Exposures could have also occurred at the Pediatric Emergency Department at Hackensack University Medical Center between 11:15 p.m. on April 17 and 3:15 a.m. on April 18, according to the agency.
The health department said it is working on contact tracing to alert anyone who might have been exposed. If someone was exposed, they could develop symptoms as late as May 11, the agency said.
Measles cases remain high across the United States this year, with 1,748 cases confirmed nationally as of April 16, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. States with the most cases include South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Florida.
There have been eight confirmed cases of the measles in New York state this year, including four in New York City, according to a New York state Department of Health update last month. Last year, 48 cases were recorded statewide, including 20 in New York City.
Both New York and New Jersey health officials continue to urge vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella. Both states have recommended that babies older than 6 months have their first dose of the vaccine before traveling internationally.
In congressional hearings this week, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said every child should get the MMR vaccine, in contrast with his previous statements on vaccines.