UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh is managing what its chief medical officer described as the largest measles exposure event the institution has ever encountered. The potential exposure occurred on August 27, when two individuals who subsequently tested positive for the highly contagious virus visited various areas of the hospital.
Dr. Donald Yealy, UPMC's chief medical officer and chair of emergency medicine, stated that the exposure involved a child and two parents who were at the hospital for a scheduled visit. The virus can remain airborne for up to two hours after an infected person has left an area, posing a significant risk to unvaccinated individuals, as it can infect nine out of every ten unvaccinated people exposed.
The affected areas included the hospital's main lobby, third-floor waiting and clinic areas, cafeteria, and elevators. Hospital officials confirmed that hundreds of people may have been exposed. This marks the third confirmed measles case linked to UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh this year.
The first case involved a Jefferson County resident who visited the hospital on August 12 and 18 and tested positive on August 20. This was the first confirmed measles case in Allegheny County since 2019. UPMC is actively notifying potentially exposed patients and staff, while the Allegheny County Health Department is advising anyone who was in the specified areas to verify their vaccination status and consult a healthcare provider.
These events come amidst a broader measles outbreak in Pennsylvania and the United States. The state has reported 540 infections, with no fully vaccinated individuals among them, and 91 hospitalizations. Pennsylvania recorded two measles-related deaths last week, the first in the nation in 35 years, occurring in Lancaster County, an area identified as the epicenter of the state's outbreak. The U.S. has recorded 2,903 measles infections so far this year, the highest number since 1991, according to CDC figures updated August 27.
Nationwide, 92.4 percent of kindergartners are fully vaccinated against measles, falling below the CDC's recommended 95 percent threshold for herd immunity. In Pennsylvania, the MMR vaccination rate is 94.6 percent. Exemptions for vaccination are also rising, with a 17 percent increase over the last decade.
Measles is characterized by fever, a distinctive rash, and respiratory symptoms. It spreads easily through direct contact with infectious droplets or via the air. Patients are contagious from four days before the rash appears to four days after. Complications can include pneumonia, encephalitis, and severe immune system damage, particularly in young children and those with compromised immune systems. The MMR vaccine, typically administered in two doses, significantly reduces the risk of infection.