{"id":420296,"date":"2026-01-21T06:40:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T06:40:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/420296\/"},"modified":"2026-01-21T06:40:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T06:40:09","slug":"just-in-inova-hospital-identified-as-exposure-site-for-recent-child-measles-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/420296\/","title":{"rendered":"JUST IN: Inova hospital identified as exposure site for recent child measles case"},"content":{"rendered":"

\tNews
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\t\tPublished January 20, 2026 at 6:30PM\n\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tInova Fairfax Medical Campus patient drop-off (staff photo by James Jarvis)\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

A measles case in Northern Virginia has raised concern about more people becoming exposed to the disease, including at the Inova Fairfax Hospital campus in Merrifield.<\/p>\n

The Virginia Department of Health reported today<\/a> (Tuesday) that a preschool-aged child who traveled internationally was confirmed to have measles. This is the third measles case reported in Virginia so far in 2026.<\/p>\n

Health officials say the latest case is unrelated to another case involving a preschool-aged child in Northern Virginia<\/a> who was diagnosed on Jan. 9 after traveling internationally.<\/p>\n

Locations that the child visited and where exposure may have occurred were:<\/p>\n

PM Pediatric Urgent Care, Prince William Parkway in Woodbridge: Tuesday, Jan. 13, 4-7:30 p.m.
\nInova Children\u2019s Emergency Department, 3300 Gallows Road in Falls Church: Thursday, Jan. 15, 7:30-10 p.m. and Friday, Jan. 16, 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
\nInova Fairfax Hospital Women\u2019s and Children\u2019s Building, Floors 2-10, 3300 Gallows Road in Falls Church: Saturday, Jan. 17, 2:30 a.m. to Sunday, Jan. 18 at 5 p.m.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo protect the patient\u2019s privacy, VDH will not provide any additional information about the patient,\u201d the state\u2019s health department said in a news release. \u201cVirginia health officials are coordinating an effort to identify people who might have been exposed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Health officials say most people have immunity to measles by being vaccinated. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. no longer recommends certain proven childhood vaccinations, guidance supporting measles vaccines and several other diseases remains unchanged.<\/p>\n

VDH reported five\u00a0cases of measles<\/a>\u00a0last year and tracked several potential public exposures, including\u00a0multiple cases<\/a>\u00a0from travelers who were infectious while passing through Dulles International Airport.<\/p>\n

VDH encourages anyone who was at the exposure sites to:<\/p>\n

Find out if you have been vaccinated for measles or have had measles previously.\u00a0Make sure you are up to date with the recommended number of\u00a0measles (MMR) vaccinations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To check your immunization status, call your healthcare provider or request records through the\u00a0VDH Record Request Portal<\/a>.
\nIf you have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or were born before 1957, you are considered protected and do not need to seek post-exposure treatment at this time.<\/p>\n

People who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles should contact their healthcare provider or call their\u00a0local health department<\/a>\u00a0People who are not immune to measles may qualify for post-exposure treatments. There is a small timeframe for these protective post-exposure treatments to be effective.
\nWatch for\u00a0symptoms<\/a>\u00a0of measles for 21 days after the potential exposure.\u00a0Monitoring for symptoms is especially important for people who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles.<\/p>\n

If you notice symptoms of measles, immediately isolate yourself by staying home.\u00a0Contact your healthcare provider right away. If you need to seek healthcare, call ahead before going to your healthcare provider\u2019s office or the emergency room to notify them that you may have been exposed to measles and ask them to call the\u00a0local health department<\/a>. This call will help protect other patients and staff.
\nThe most likely time\u00a0you would become sick would be between January 20 to February 8.
\nContact your\u00a0local health department<\/a>\u00a0or email\u00a0epi_response@vdh.virginia.gov<\/a>\u00a0to discuss any additional recommendations.<\/p>\n


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\n Emily Leayman is a senior reporter at ARLnow, ALXnow and FFXnow. She was previously a field editor covering parts of Northern Virginia for Patch for more than eight years. A native of the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, she lives in Northern Virginia. <\/p>\n


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