Alexandria Health Department Shares Details of Northern Virginia Measles Exposures

Alexandria Health Department (AHD) is advising residents about potential exposures to measles in northern Virginia. Full details are available in a news release from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) titled, "Virginia Health Officials Investigating Measles Exposure in Northern Virginia."

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) was notified of a confirmed case of measles involving a person who traveled through Northern Virginia Sunday, August 16, while infectious. The person is a resident of another state. Health officials are coordinating an effort to identify people who might have been exposed.

Listed below are the date, time, and location of the potential exposure site:

• Sheraton Reston Hotel, located at 11810 Sunrise Valley Drive in Reston, Sunday, August 16.
• MOTW Coffee and Pastries, located at 11830 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 200 in Reston, Sunday, August 16.
• 7-Eleven, located at 11854 Sunrise Valley Drive in Reston, Sunday, August 16.
• Barber & Men's Spa, located at 11830 Sunrise Valley Dr, Unit 900 in Reston, between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday, August 16.

Any additional exposure sites identified in Virginia will be posted to the VDH Measles website. To date in 2026, Virginia has 179 reported cases of measles.

What To Do

If you were exposed at the location and time above, read the news release for instructions. Here's a summary:

• Report Your Exposure as soon as possible. All people who were present at the places/times above should fill out this short survey for the Virginia Department of Health.
  • Health officials will contact you if you need to take more steps or can receive time-sensitive treatment.
• Check Your Vaccination Status: Make sure you've had your recommended measles (MMR) shots. Tips for checking your status are written below.
  • If you've had two doses of measles vaccine, were born before 1957, or have had measles, then you're considered protected and won't need to take extra steps.
• If you are severely immunocompromised, please talk to your doctor for specific advice or contact your local health department (details below).

Over the next few weeks:

• Watch out for symptoms for 21 days after you may have been exposed. If you get symptoms, stay away from others and call the doctor right away. Symptoms include:
  • Runny nose
  • Fever over 101°F
  • Cough
  • Red, watery eyes
  • Rash

If you have questions about a potential exposure, email [email protected] or call AHD at 703.746.4988.

How to Check Your Measles Vaccination

Hearing about measles in our community makes many people want to know their vaccine history. The best way to know if you've gotten your recommended measles vaccines is to ask your doctor to check your vaccine record. For children, ask their pediatrician.

If you got vaccines in Virginia, you can also check online using the Virginia MMR record portal. Several other states also have similar systems.

If you haven't had the recommended vaccines, you can get the MMR shot from your doctor or a pharmacy in Virginia.

Learn more about measles, symptoms, and vaccines on the VDH Measles website.

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If you prefer communication in another language, free interpretation and translation services are available to you, please email [email protected] or call 703.746.3960.

For media inquiries only, please contact Brookie Crawford at [email protected].