Measles, one of the most contagious viruses known to man, has landed at two bustling U.S. airports right in the middle of holiday travel chaos, Fox News reported. 

As health officials scramble to contain the threat, cases of measles have been confirmed at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Boston Logan International Airport in Massachusetts, putting countless travelers at risk during the peak holiday rush.

On Dec. 12, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) announced a passenger at Newark Liberty, specifically in terminals B and C, was diagnosed with measles.

Measles Hits Newark Amid Holiday Crowds

This isn’t just a minor hiccup—measles spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, lingering in the environment for up to two hours after they’ve left.

With AAA projecting a record 8.03 million Americans flying this holiday season, the timing couldn’t be worse for such a highly transmissible disease to rear its ugly head.

Health officials are urging anyone who suspects exposure or feels ill to call their healthcare provider before showing up at a medical facility, a sensible precaution to avoid further spread.

Contact Tracing Underway in New Jersey

The NJDOH is pulling out all the stops, working with local authorities to trace contacts and notify those who might have been exposed at Newark.

As the release states, “NJDOH is working in collaboration with local health officials on ongoing contact tracing and on efforts to notify people who might have been exposed and to identify additional exposures that may have occurred.”

While that’s commendable, one has to wonder if this reactive approach is enough in an era when personal responsibility often takes a backseat to government hand-holding—especially when unvaccinated individuals, who are most at risk, are part of the equation.

Boston Confirms Case on Christmas Eve

Adding fuel to the fire, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed on Christmas Eve that a traveler from Texas was diagnosed with measles after arriving at Boston Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth.

This individual was in terminal B, and with the holiday travel surge in full swing, the potential for exposure is a real concern for families just trying to get home for the season.

Across the nation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports a staggering 2,012 measles cases in the U.S. as of Dec. 23, with New Jersey alone logging 11 confirmed cases this year.

Vaccination: The Best Defense Available

Let’s talk symptoms—measles isn’t a walk in the park, bringing high fever, cough, runny nose, watery red eyes, and a distinctive rash that starts on the face and spreads downward.

As Connecticut’s DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, M.D., wisely noted, “The single best way to protect your children and yourself from measles is to be vaccinated,” a statement reported by Fox News Digital that cuts through the noise of anti-vaccine rhetoric often peddled by progressive skeptics.

With one dose of the vaccine offering 93% protection and two doses boosting that to 97%, it’s hard to argue against this straightforward defense—yet, in a culture obsessed with personal choice over communal good, too many still roll the dice, endangering everyone else in the process.