A Bard college student suffering from measles passed through Penn Station on an Amtrak train Jan. 25, the N.Y. State Dept. of Health said, prompting a warning that passengers on the train should contact a doctor if they’re not certain they are immune to the disease. The student traveled on Amtrak train 283 that left Penn Station at 1:20 p.m., heading for Albany and Niagara Falls.
Anyone experiencing symptoms – which include a runny nose, cough, fever and eventually spots – should let their doctor’s office or hospital know before going to avoid exposure. The health department said people are considered immune if they’ve had more than two doses of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine, were born before Jan. 1, 1957 or have had a blood test that confirms immunity. A measles outbreak traced to Disneyland, in Anaheim, California, sickened some 90 people, and some schools have banned non-vaccinated students from attending. The outbreak has renewed the anti-vaccination debate. California requires vaccination, but 2.7 percent of students there have “personal belief” exemptions from vaccination, Reuters reported.
This is the third case of measles reported in New York this year. The other two cases were in New York City, according to the state health department. Those two patients are nowpast their infectious period and have recovered. Their infection was related to international travel, city officials told Metro. As of Jan. 28, there were 84 people in 14 states with measles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Measles was eradicated from the U.S. in 2000, but travelers can still bring in the virus, according to the CDC.
NY Measles patient passed through Penn Station
