NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – As the measles outbreak continues to plague the U.S., several states are grappling with how to stop the spread.
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In New Mexico, an exposure was reported at the Albuquerque International Sunport last week. An exposed traveler told KRQE News 13 that the New Mexico Department of Health said they would have to report her to TSA unless she got vaccinated. She then feared they wouldn’t let her fly back home to Albuquerque.
“This is a measles outbreak in 35 states, or 35 jurisdictions, almost 35 states across the U.S. and Canada, and Mexico. It’s just kind of unprecedented, over a thousand cases,” going on to say, “it might’ve been said, you can’t travel,” said Miranda Durham, Chief Medical Officer of NMDOH.
If you were traveling on Tuesday from 3 to 7 p.m., and were in the main terminal or went through the TSA security checkpoint at the Sunport, you were likely exposed to the airborne disease.
NMDOH contact traced people on the flight who were directly impacted. One traveler said she couldn’t remember if her vaccines were up-to-date, so the state suggested she get the MMR vaccine, which left her scrambling to get one while on vacation. “New Mexico Department of Health is just really recommending that people, before they travel, be sure to get vaccinated or be sure of their vaccine status,” said Durham.
For those exposed and uninterested in getting the vaccine, NMDOH recommends a 21 day quarantine. For more information about measles, go to measles.doh.nm.gov.
