anti-abortion march is getting an unwelcome footnote: a possible link to the nation’s growing measles problem

Washington’s annual anti-abortion march may be connected to the nation’s growing measles outbreak, officials say. DC health authorities report that several people with confirmed measles were contagious while visiting multiple locations in the city, including the Jan. 23 March for Life on the National Mall, which attracted thousands of attendees. Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson were among those present, according to USA Today.

Other potential exposure sites include the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Jan. 21; portions of Catholic University’s campus on Jan. 24 and 25; Reagan National Airport and several Metro trains on Jan. 26 and 27; and the Amtrak concourse at Union Station on Jan. 27. Children’s National Hospital reported that a Virginia resident with measles spent about 30 minutes in its emergency department on Feb. 2.

Officials advise anyone who may have been exposed and is not immune to contact a healthcare provider, DC Health at 844-493-2652, or their local health department, and to monitor for symptoms—runny nose, red eyes, cough, and a rash that starts on the head and spreads downward—for 21 days after possible exposure. Anyone who develops symptoms should immediately isolate at home.

The alert comes amid a national rise in measles cases. The CDC has recorded 733 cases so far this year, with about 3% resulting in hospitalization. Last year, the agency reported 2,276 cases—the highest number since measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. around 2000. The U.S. has now seen 12 consecutive months of measles transmission, raising concerns about potentially losing its elimination status. The World Health Organization’s Pan American Health Organization has asked the U.S. to review its measles elimination status in April. Last month, the Trump administration formally withdrew from WHO, NPR reports.

The CDC recommends two doses of the MMR vaccine and notes that 95% of this year’s U.S. cases involve unvaccinated individuals. On CNN Sunday, Medicare and Medicaid chief Dr. Mehmet Oz urged viewers to get vaccinated.

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