Measles case in Santa Clara County prompts SFO exposure warning

A measles case in Santa Clara County has put San Francisco International Airport at the center of a public-health warning, after officials said an adult resident was contagious while passing through the airport’s International Terminal. Health officials also flagged two San Jose grocery stops later that day, widening the list of people who may need to check immunization records and monitor for illness.

The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department issued the exposure alert on June 13, 2026, saying the resident was believed to have been exposed during international travel. Officials said the person may have exposed others at the International Terminal at SFO, including passport control, customs and international baggage claim, from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on June 8, 2026.

The alert extended to two South Bay businesses visited that evening: Trader Joe’s at 635 Coleman Ave. in San Jose from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., and International Halal Market at 960 E. Santa Clara St. in San Jose from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. County Health Officer Sarah Rudman said the county was releasing the exposure locations so people could act quickly if they were there during the listed times.

Officials urged anyone who may have been exposed to review vaccination records, watch for symptoms for 7 to 21 days after exposure, and call a doctor before going in if symptoms develop. The county said unvaccinated exposed people should quarantine as much as possible and avoid large gatherings, a warning that carried added weight with large international events underway across the Bay Area.

Santa Clara County public health officials said the best protection against measles is two doses of the MMR vaccine. They also said most county residents remain at low risk because of vaccination or childhood exposure decades ago, but stressed that measles is among the most infectious diseases in the world and spreads rapidly through the air.

The local warning comes as measles cases have climbed nationally. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that as of June 11, 2026, the United States had recorded 2,073 confirmed measles cases this year, with 93% tied to outbreaks and 30 new outbreaks reported in 2026. For all of 2025, the country reported 2,288 confirmed cases.

California has also faced imported cases this year. The California Department of Public Health said in February that the state had reported nine confirmed measles cases as of February 2, 2026, six of them linked to international travel, and none with documentation of MMR vaccination. In Santa Clara County, the latest alert underscores how quickly a single contagious traveler can turn an airport terminal and nearby stores into exposure sites.