A person with measles rode crowded trains in San Francisco last week, potentially exposing tens of thousands of riders to the virus, according to transit officials.
{mosads}The unidentified person rode the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) for three days during rush hour, the transit agency said in a statement.
“Some BART riders may have been exposed to measles last week after a Contra Costa County resident with measles commuted from home to work in San Francisco while infectious,” BART said in the statement. “Although the risk of contracting measles by being exposed on BART is low, Bay Area residents should be aware of the situation.”
Tens of thousands of people could potentially have been exposed, BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost told Reuters, because the trains circulate throughout the area. The person was on the train for about 35 minutes, but measles can stay in the air for up to two hours.
The person also spent an hour and a half at a San Francisco restaurant, potentially exposing more people.
“Measles is circulating in the Bay Area and we don’t know yet where this person was exposed,” Erika Jenssen, Communicable Disease Program chief with Contra Costa Public Health, said in a statement. “The ongoing measles outbreak in California highlights the need for people to be vaccinated, and this is just another example of how interconnected our region is and how important it is for everyone to be up to date on their immunizations.”
The transit agency noted that most people are not at risk because they are vaccinated. People who choose not to have their children vaccinated have become a source of controversy lately, amid an outbreak of measles in 17 states, centered in California.
The issue of vaccinations was thrust into the presidential debate with comments by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) that parents should have some choice over whether to vaccinate their children.
The backlash to those remarks has been intense, with senators from both parties this week stressing that vaccines are safe and scientifically proven.
“Too many parents are turning away from sound science,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the chairman of the Health Committee. “Sound science is this: Vaccines save lives.”
Updated at 12:48 p.m.