Sunita SomvanshiPhiladelphia health officials are investigating two separate measles exposure events — one at Philadelphia International Airport and one at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia — and the city’s health department has confirmed they are unrelated to each other. If you were at PHL on specific dates in September, or connected to CHOP, here is what officials say you should know.
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health confirmed that a traveler infected with measles passed through the airport on September 13 at 7:25 p.m. through September 14 at 12:05 a.m. The exposure involved Terminals B and F, as well as connecting areas in Terminals C, D, and E. Officials noted the infected traveler did not leave the airport during this period. The CHOP exposure was separate and occurred on September 11, with local reporting indicating it included the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit. Philadelphia health officials said they were working to provide preventive antibody treatment to NICU infants following that exposure.
If you were at Philadelphia International Airport between the evening of September 13 and the early hours of September 14, you may have been exposed. Measles symptoms — fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a rash — typically appear 7 to 21 days after exposure. Anyone who was in the affected terminals should check their vaccination status. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are considered highly protective. If you are unvaccinated or unsure of your status, contact a healthcare provider. Families with connections to CHOP should follow up directly with CHOP or their own physician for guidance.
Two Events, Not One Outbreak
The clearest fact to establish: the airport exposure and the CHOP exposure are two separate incidents. Philadelphia health officials explicitly stated the airport case was unrelated to the CHOP exposures. Treating them as a single outbreak would misrepresent what officials actually know about the source and spread of each case.
Measles is highly contagious — it can spread through the air up to two hours after an infected person has left a room. The measles vaccine is highly effective, but outbreaks can occur in communities with gaps in vaccination coverage. The US has seen periodic measles cases linked to international travel, which is consistent with an airport exposure setting.
For the airport exposure, the key official detail is that the infected traveler did not leave the airport — the potential exposure was contained to the terminals listed. Anyone who was in Terminals B, C, D, E, or F during the September 13–14 window should check their immunity status and monitor for symptoms.
**What should people who were at Philadelphia airport during the exposure period do?**
Check whether you are immune to measles — either through two doses of the MMR vaccine or a documented prior infection. Monitor for symptoms including fever, cough, runny nose, and rash for 21 days after exposure. The official exposure window was September 13 at 7:25 p.m. through September 14 at 12:05 a.m. Follow guidance from Philadelphia health officials at phila.gov.
Both investigations are ongoing. Philadelphia health officials may release additional guidance as contact tracing continues. Check back for updates if your travel dates overlap with the exposure window.
