Measles Exposure Alert in Bergen County

A resident in Bergen County has been identified with measles and may have exposed others during visits to several local healthcare facilities, as announced by the state Health Department on Wednesday.

If you happened to visit any of the locations listed below during the specified times, health officials advise you to keep an eye out for symptoms until about September 20:

• 385 Prospect Plaza, 385 Prospect Ave. in Hackensack on August 25 from 2:30 to 5:45 p.m. and on August 29 from 8:45 to 11:30 a.m.
• Pediatric Emergency Department at Hackensack University Medical Center on August 26 between 10:45 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.
• Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital building at Hackensack University Medical Center from 3:30 p.m. on August 26 until 8:30 p.m. the following day.

If you suspect you might have measles, it’s important to call your healthcare provider before going to their office or the emergency department. This helps ensure that extra precautions can be taken to safeguard other patients and staff.

Measles is an extremely contagious respiratory illness that spreads easily through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after the person has left the area, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Symptoms typically present as a high fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and a red rash beginning at the hairline. The rash usually appears three to five days after the onset of other symptoms, and individuals can transmit the virus from four days before to four days after the rash appears.

As of now, New Jersey has documented 10 cases of measles in 2025, increasing from seven cases reported last year. Nationally, the number of measles cases has surged to alarming rates.

This year, there have been 1,431 confirmed cases across 42 states, marking the highest annual total in 33 years. Just to put that in perspective, 1992 saw over 2,100 infections reported.

The country has also experienced three confirmed measles-related deaths in New Mexico and Texas—unfortunately, this marks the first measles fatalities in over a decade in the United States.

Though measles was declared eliminated about 25 years ago, outbreaks of 50 cases or more have become increasingly common, particularly in communities with low vaccination rates, according to the CDC.

To effectively control measles, public health experts advocate a herd immunity vaccination coverage of 95%. Unfortunately, this rate has been declining both in the U.S. and in New Jersey, while the number of unvaccinated individuals has increased.

The CDC recommends that children receive two doses of the MMR vaccine: the first between 12 to 15 months of age and the second between 4 to 6 years old.

In 2023, about 93% of kindergartners in New Jersey received two or more doses of the MMR vaccine, which is slightly better than the national average of 92.7%. However, this represents a decline from the state’s rate of 94.3% in the 2022-23 period.

In New Jersey, the MMR vaccine is required for children attending school or daycare, unless a medical or religious exemption is granted.

The New Jersey Department of Health is urging all residents to remain up to date with routine vaccinations, including the MMR shots.