In 2020, COVID-19 resulted in travel restrictions and other changes in the way people travel. Avoiding getting sick while traveling can be tricky because COVID-19, flu and the common cold can spread easily when dozens of people are seated shoulder to shoulder on a plane, train or bus. However, another disease has been added to the list. Measles is on the rise and health officials found it at the airport.
The New Jersey Department of Health issued a news release stating that measles was detected in a traveler at Newark Liberty International Airport on December 12, 2025. The department has launched contact tracing efforts to prevent the passenger from infecting others. Another case was reported in a passenger who traveled to and from Boston’s Logan International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the United States, on December 11 and 12.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health also issued its own press release. The press release emphasized that measles is preventable with a vaccine, making the rise in cases nationwide even more surprising. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 2,000 people in the United States will test positive for measles in 2025, the highest number since 1992.
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Why measles is resurgent
A man in a hazmat suit sprays liquid on an empty plane – David Silverman/Getty Images
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi), an organization working to increase access to medical vaccinations around the world, explains that measles is the most contagious virus based on how many other viruses a person can be infected with, a measure known as R0. Like COVID-19 and the flu, measles spreads through airborne particles when a person carrying the disease coughs or sneezes. Its particles can also stay in the air for up to two hours, meaning you can catch measles even without direct contact. About two centuries after measles was documented, researchers created a vaccine in the 1960s.
Skepticism about vaccines has long existed around the world, but in recent years a higher proportion of parents have chosen not to vaccinate their children. Gavi attributes this to vaccine misinformation, the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and other global crises. Several health officials have publicly tried to reassure people, saying vaccines are safe and effective as long as enough people get vaccinated.
Despite vaccination, contracting measles is extremely rare, but all travelers can take comfort in the fact that the number of cases nationwide remains fairly low. If you think you might be sick, wearing a mask can prevent you from spreading anything.
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Read the original article on Discovery.