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Measles concern prompts Health Department reminder about disease prevention

PHOTO/DAKOTA ANTELMAN

The Health Department wants residents to be mindful of contracting and spreading illnesses during travel following a regional concern with measles last month.

According to Health Director Shaun McAuliffe, an individual carrying measles arrived in Boston and traveled to Westborough for business on Dec. 11. He reportedly also visited Framingham before leaving the state.

“He later contracted full-blown measles,” said McAuliffe.

The health director explained that the overall risk to Hopkinton from this incident was low; the individual did not visit town, and childhood vaccination rates are between 98-99%. McAuliffe said that in this instance, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health was more concerned about older populations who had not updated their measles vaccinations.

However, he and the Board of Health at a meeting on Monday acknowledged that the issue highlighted concerns with Hopkinton residents traveling to and from “hot spots” across the country — areas in which vaccination rates are lower and communicable diseases have a higher spread.

“This could easily have been a college student [coming home] from Texas or Utah or South Carolina who had measles, came home asymptomatic and then developed measles when they were home,” said McAuliffe.

The Health Department recommends that households have plans in place for family members and visitors coming from areas where diseases like measles are a concern.

“They should have conversations with children before they come home or with any visitors that may be coming from any hot spots,” McAuliffe said. He also encouraged older individuals to get a measles booster before traveling.

If anyone returns home sick, the Health Department recommends that person remain at home in isolation to limit the disease spread.

“We’re really focused on protecting our most vulnerable in town,” McAuliffe explained. “We just want people to be aware that there are simple steps they can take.”

— NICK SCHOFIELD

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Photo of the Day

At the Premeer Gives Back Foundation’s recent Evening of Giving event, Dell employee Stacey Laffin (left) receives the Be the Good Award in recognition of her volunteer work for Hopkinton-based charity Project Just Because. She is joined by PJB executive assistant/volunteer coordinator Amy Hartland and Premeer Gives Back Foundation director Matt McLaughlin. Premeer Gives Back, the charitable foundation of Premeer Real Estate, also supported PJB with $3,000 in charitable funding in 2025.

PHOTO/MATTHEW ALLEN PHOTOGRAPHY