New Jersey officials have issued a warning that someone who attended a Shakira concert from out of state was infected with measles, a widely contagious virus.
A concert-goer was infected
The New Jersey Department of Health issued a warning on Tuesday, May 20, that a concert-goer who attended Shakira’s concert in New Jersey from out of state was infected with measles.
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The concert took place five days earlier
The infected person attended Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour concert in New Jersey on May 15.
The state’s department of health warned of “a newly identified case of measles in a non-NJ resident who attended a concert in NJ while infectious.”
The agency warned those who were at the stadium
The NJ Department of Health warned that anyone who was at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford between the hours of 7:30pm and 1am could have been exposed to measles.
The virus is spread via cough
The US Center for Disease Control states that measles is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes, with the virus being able to stay in the air for up to two hours.
More than 82,000 people attended the concert
The Shakira concert tickets sold out, and the MetLife Stadium has a capacity of more than 82,000 seats, meaning around the same number of people were at the venue.
Symptoms could develop as late as June 6
Symptoms for those who attended the concert and may have contracted the virus could develop as late as June 6, although the NJDOH states that no new cases have been associated with attendance of the show at this time.
The best protection from measles is vaccination
The CDC says the best protection from the contagious virus is “two doses of the MMR vaccine” which protects against measles, rubella, and mumps. The agency also notes that 96% of those who get infected with the virus are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccine status.
The first dose of the vaccine is given between 12 to 15 months of age, with the second being administered between 4 to 6 years.
Measles can be deadly
The CDC warns that measles “isn’t just a little rash,” but can be “dangerous,” especially for babies and young children, with one in every five people who catch the virus getting hospitalized.
They also warn that it can “cause severe health complications,” which can include pneumonia, encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and even death.
