Wake and Durham public health officials report that measles exposure has been confirmed at various locations.
Measles exposure in Raleigh and Durham occurred on Feb. 5 and Feb. 6. Durham public health officials said in the press release that the person who was infected is not a resident of Durham County.
Measles is a highly contagious disease and it takes roughly one to two weeks after exposure for symptoms to manifest. They include high fever, cough, white spots inside the mouth and a red, blotchy rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.
Here's where and when measles exposure occurred:
Raleigh
O2 Fitness, 7801 Alexander Promenade Place, Raleigh, NC 27617
- Feb. 5, 1:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Everbowl, 7840 Alexander Promenade Place, Suite 125, Raleigh, NC 27617
- Feb. 5, 3:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Harris Teeter, 13210 Strickland Road, Raleigh, NC 27613
- Feb. 5, 5 p.m. to 7:10 p.m.
Harris Teeter, 8345 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh, NC 27613
- Feb. 5, 5:15 p.m. to 7:35 p.m.
Walgreens, 13301 Strickland Road, Raleigh, NC 27613
- Feb. 6, 3:30 p.m. to 5:40 p.m.
Durham
Goodwill, 4318 Garret Rd., Durham, NC, 27707
- Feb. 6, 10:20 a.m. to 1:10 p.m.
Chubby’s Tacos, 4711 Hope Valley Road., Durham, NC, 27707
- Feb. 6, 11:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Plato’s Closet, 8128 Renaissance Pkwy #110, Durham, NC, 27713
- Feb. 6, 12:45 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Public health officials are urging community members to check their immunization status and are reminding folks that vaccination is the best way to prevent serious illness. Anyone can become sick with measles, but the highest risk groups include children under the age of 5, adults at least 20 years of age, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals. To receive the MMR vaccine, officials recommend contacting your health care provider. Some children might be eligible to have their vaccines covered by the Vaccines for Children program.
According to state health officials, there have been 18 confirmed cases of measles in North Carolina since December. While the cases have largely been reported in western North Carolina, one was recently reported in Nash County. Several of the initial cases were linked to the massive outbreak in upstate South Carolina, which reached 933 cases on Feb. 10. N.C. chief epidemiologist Zack Moore warned in January that many communities are vulnerable due to low vaccination rates.
At least 95% people in a community need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity – below that, measles outbreaks are likely to occur. According to state data on vaccinated kindergarteners, Durham County has low coverage at 88% and Wake County's coverage is estimated at 94%. Orange has high coverage at 96% and Chatham's coverage sits at 95%.
"After a substantial surge in 2025, measles cases in 2026 appear to be on track to equal or exceed the number we saw last year," Duke professor of pediatrics Dr. Tony Moody said in a press release. "Vaccination remains the best way to protect against infection and infectious complications of measles. The outbreaks occurring in southern states make it even more important for people who live in or travel to the region to be vigilant about their health."
