March for Life attendees may have been exposed to measles, DC Health warns

"Health officials are warning that confirmed cases of measles may have spread at this year's National March for Life rally and concert in Washington, D.C. Thousands of anti-abortion demonstrators converged upon the National Mall and other locations in the nation's capital for the annual event at the end of January. The DC Department of Health says it's working to identify people who are at risk."

""DC Health was notified of multiple confirmed cases of measles whose carriers visited multiple locations in the District while contagious," the agency said in a press release on Sunday. "DC Health is informing people who were at these locations that they may have been exposed." Potential exposure sites from Jan. 21 to Feb. 2 include major transit such as Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Union Station, an Amtrak Northeast Regional train and D.C.'s subway system, according to DC Health."

"The U.S. is dealing with its biggest measles outbreak in decades. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 733 confirmed measles cases in 20 states so far this year alone, as of last Thursday. According to the CDC, 95% of the cases involved people who are unvaccinated or their vaccination status is unknown. South Carolina's outbreak started in October 2025 and quickly surpassed an outbreak in Texas."

Multiple confirmed measles cases were linked to visitors at the National March for Life rally and associated venues in Washington, D.C. DC Health is identifying and notifying people who may have been exposed after carriers visited multiple District locations while contagious. Potential exposure sites from Jan. 21 to Feb. 2 include Reagan National Airport, Union Station, an Amtrak Northeast Regional train, and D.C.'s subway system, as well as the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and Catholic University. Children's National Hospital reported a contagious measles patient visited its Emergency Department on Feb. 2. The CDC reports 733 U.S. cases in 20 states, with 95% unvaccinated or unknown; South Carolina's outbreak reached 920 cases.

Read at www.npr.org