Residents who visited the Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center emergency department in Oregon City on July 10 or July 11 may have been exposed to measles, state and county health officials warned on July 14.
The Oregon Health Authority and Clackamas County Public Health identified two specific exposure windows at the hospital, located at 1500 Division St. in Oregon City:
- Friday, July 10: 12:18 a.m. to 5:56 a.m.
- Saturday, July 11: 10:04 a.m. to 2:57 p.m.
Anyone who was in the emergency department during those times should call their health care provider immediately, officials said. The provider can assess individual risk based on vaccination history, age, or lab evidence of prior infection.
The alert is the first public measles exposure notice in Oregon since May, according to OHA.
Oregon's case count nears 30-year high
Oregon has confirmed 27 measles cases in 2026, approaching the 31 infections reported in 2024, which was the state's highest annual total in more than three decades. The state reported just one case in all of 2025.
OHA spokesperson Jonathan Modie said any additional cases tied to the latest exposures will appear in the state's public case count, which is typically updated later in the week.
Nearly every Oregon case in 2026 has involved an unvaccinated person. Nationwide, more than 2,230 cases have been confirmed this year, already approaching the roughly 2,300 reported during all of 2025 with nearly six months still remaining, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Wastewater monitoring has detected measles virus in several parts of Oregon, a signal that infections may exceed confirmed case counts, according to OHA.
What to watch for
Measles symptoms usually appear seven to 21 days after exposure. They often begin with fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes before a rash starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.
The virus spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Virus particles can linger indoors for up to two hours after that person leaves. People are contagious for four days before a rash appears and up to four days afterward.
Measles can be deadly for infants, children younger than 5, pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems. In developed countries in recent years, one to three of every 1,000 cases has been fatal.
How to protect yourself
Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing infection. Public health experts say at least 95% of a population must be immune to prevent widespread transmission.
Officials urged anyone planning to seek medical care after a possible exposure to call ahead before arriving, so staff can create an entry plan that avoids exposing others in waiting rooms.
Clackamas County residents without a primary care provider can schedule an appointment with a Clackamas County Health Center. The county maintains a dedicated measles information page at clackamas.us/publichealth/measles.
