People might have been exposed to measles carriers at March for Life

DC Health is warning people that they could have been exposed in recent weeks to measles from multiple carriers, including at the National March for Life.

The first potential measles exposure in the District was at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception between 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Jan. 21, DC Health said Sunday.

After that, there was a potential exposure at the March for Life rally and concert on the National Mall from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 23.

The weekend after the rally, people were possibly exposed at multiple sites at the District’s Catholic University of America.

DC Health said that those who took the Metrorail Red Line on Jan. 26 from Brookland- CUA station before transferring at Gallery Place-Chinatown to the Yellow Line heading toward the Huntington station between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. could have been exposed to measles.

People who were at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport between 12:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 26 and people who took the Yellow Line from the airport Metrorail station before transferring onto the Red Line at Gallery Place-Chinatown heading toward Glenmont were also potentially exposed.

The next day, passengers on the Red Line between Brookland-CUA station toward Shady Grove station from 1:15-3:30 p.m. were potentially exposed to measles, as were people at the Amtrak Concourse in Union Station from 1:30-6:30 p.m. as well as passengers on Amtrak Northeast Regional train 176 between 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., DC Health said.

Finally, there was a potential exposure at the Children’s National Hospital emergency department on Feb. 2. The hospital said the exposure involved a Virginia resident who came for treatment while contagious.

Measles symptoms show up between a week to two weeks after exposure, DC Health said.

The agency said people born before 1957 or who have received two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are considered protected. People immunocompromised or who have received one or no doses of the vaccine are urged to contact a health care provider and to get fully vaccinated against measles.