A case of measles has been confirmed in Washington, D.C., after an infected person traveled by train from New York City to the capital on the evening of March 19, exposing numerous passengers to the virus. Local health authorities have issued an alert to identify possible infected people. It is the first case in the capital since the outbreak began in Texas, where there are already 327 cases. The disease, among the most contagious in the world, can cause fever, rashes, pneumonia and, in some cases, prove fatal. Ninety percent of unvaccinated people who come in contact with the virus are at risk of contracting it.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States has already recorded since early 2025, the highest number of measles cases in a single year since 2019. Most of these infections stemmed from an outbreak in Texas that has sickened more than 300 people since late January and resulted in the death of a child. An adult also died in New Mexico on March 6 after becoming ill. The man was not vaccinated.
Meanwhile, the CDC, which insists on the importance of the vaccine as the only useful means of fighting the epidemic, reports that two doses are about 97 percent effective in preventing measles while a single dose is about 93 percent effective. The disease vaccine, usually administered as part of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, or MMR, is highly effective and safe, they point out.
