In 2020, COVID-19 caused travel restrictions and other changes to how people get around. Avoiding getting sick while traveling is tricky, as COVID-19, flu, and common colds easily spread when dozens of people sit shoulder to shoulder inside planes, trains, or buses. However, another disease has added itself to the list. Measles is on the rise, and health officials have detected it in airports.
The New Jersey Department of Health sent a press release stating that it detected measles in a traveler who was at the Newark Liberty International Airport on December 12, 2025. The department has undertaken contact tracing efforts in case the passenger infected others. Another case appeared in a passenger who flew to and from Boston Logan International Airport (one of the busiest in the country) on December 11 and 12.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health sent a press release of its own. The press release emphasized that measles is preventable through vaccines, making the nationwide rise in cases all the more surprising. Per the Centers for Disease Control, over 2,000 people in the U.S. tested positive for measles in 2025, numbers not seen since 1992.
Read more: Airport Security Secrets You Need To Know
Why the measles resurgence is occurring
Man in hazmat suit spraying an empty plane – David Silverman/Getty Images
Gavi, an organization working to increase medical vaccine access worldwide, explained that measles is the most contagious virus based on how many others just one person can infect, a measurement called R0. Like COVID-19 and the flu, measles spreads through particles in the air after someone carrying the disease coughs or sneezes. Its particles also linger in the air for up to two hours, meaning you can catch measles even without direct contact. After around two centuries of documented measles existence, researchers created a vaccine in the 1960s.
Vaccine skeptics have long existed around the world, but recent years have seen a higher percentage of parents choosing not to vaccinate their children. Gavi attributes this to vaccine misinformation, the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and other global crises. Multiple health officials have publicly tried to ease people’s minds by stating that vaccines are safe and effective as long as enough members of a population receive them.
Getting measles despite being vaccinated is incredibly uncommon, but all travelers can take solace in the fact that cases are still fairly low nationwide. If you think you might be sick, wearing a mask can prevent you from spreading anything.
Ready to discover more hidden gems and expert travel tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter for access to the world’s best-kept travel secrets. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google.
Read the original article on Explore.
