New Jersey health officials issued a warning about a potential measles exposure during the Shakira concert at MetLife Stadium.
On Tuesday, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) announced that a non-New Jersey resident attended the concert while infected with the disease. The concert took place from Thursday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Anyone who attended the concert and suspects a measles exposure or illness should call a health care provider before going to any medical office or emergency department, officials said. You should not visit a medical facility without calling ahead. Anyone who was exposed at the concert could develop symptoms as late as June 6.
Those who are at risk of being infected by the measles are people who have not been fully vaccinated or have not had measles in the past. The MMR vaccine – which is administered in two doses – is the safest and most effective way to protect yourself against measles, mumps and rubella. The vaccine also prevents complications caused by those three diseases.
Health officials recommend that residents stay up to date on routine vaccinations, including MMR shots. Anyone traveling internationally should also be fully vaccinated before traveling and babies between 6 months and 11 months should get one dose of the MMR vaccine before traveling and two more doses after their first birthday.
Measles symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose, watery red eyes and a rash that usually appears between three to five days after symptoms begin. The rash normally begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, torso, arms, legs and feet. Measles can also cause pneumonia and swelling of the brain. It can also lead to miscarriage in pregnant people, premature birth or a low-birth-weight baby, officials said.
The virus spreads through the air when someone coughs or sneezes and can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the area. People can also get sick when they come in contact with mucus or saliva from an infected person.
You can learn more about measles here.
