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A preschool-aged child with measles may have exposed people at several Northern Virginia medical facilities, including the Inova Fairfax Hospital campus in Merrifield.
The Virginia Department of Health announced Tuesday that the child had recently traveled internationally. The diagnosis marks Virginia’s third reported measles case of 2026.
Officials said the case is unrelated to another Northern Virginia preschooler who was diagnosed Jan. 9 after international travel.
Potential exposure may have occurred at these locations and times:
- PM Pediatric Urgent Care on Prince William Parkway in Woodbridge: Jan. 13 from 4 to 7:30 p.m.
- Inova Children’s Emergency Department, 3300 Gallows Road in Falls Church: Jan. 15 from 7:30 to 10 p.m. and Jan. 16 from 8:30 to 11 p.m.
- Floors 2 through 10 of Inova Fairfax Hospital’s Women’s and Children’s Building, 3300 Gallows Road: Jan. 17 at 2:30 a.m. through Jan. 18 at 5 p.m.
State health officials are working to identify people who may have been exposed. No additional details about the child will be released to protect the patient’s privacy.
Most people are protected from measles through vaccination. Federal guidance supporting measles vaccination remains unchanged even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stopped recommending certain other established childhood vaccines.
Virginia recorded five measles cases in 2025 and investigated several possible public exposures. Those included travelers who passed through Dulles International Airport while infectious.
Anyone who visited the identified locations during the listed periods should verify whether they have received the recommended number of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine doses or previously had measles. Immunization records are available from healthcare providers or through the state health department’s records portal.
People who have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine or were born before 1957 are considered protected and do not currently need post-exposure treatment.
Those who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune should promptly contact a healthcare provider or local health department. Some people may qualify for protective treatment after exposure, but it must be administered within a limited period.
Officials recommend watching for measles symptoms for 21 days following a possible exposure, particularly among people who lack immunity. Illness connected to these exposures would most likely develop between Jan. 20 and Feb. 8.
Anyone who develops symptoms should remain home and immediately contact a healthcare provider. Patients who need in-person care should call before visiting a doctor’s office or emergency room, explain that they may have been exposed to measles, and ask the facility to notify the local health department. Calling ahead can help prevent further exposure among patients and medical staff.
Additional guidance is available through local health departments or by emailing epi_response@vdh.virginia.gov.