Montana public health officials are continuing to combat the first measles outbreak in the state in 35 years.
Missoula Public Health (MPH) was notified that a person infected with measles visited Missoula on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. No positive cases of measles have been confirmed in Missoula County at this time.
MPH is aware of three public places the person went while visiting. Measles can stay in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves. The listed times include the period when the exposure occurred and two hours after. Anyone who visited the following places on Nov. 22 during these times should monitor for symptoms:
- 11am – 2:30 pm: Missoula TJ Maxx
- 12pm – 3:30 pm: Missoula Scheels
- 1pm – 4 pm: Missoula Old Chicago
MPH says the purpose of notifying the public is not to cause panic or fear, but to encourage those who may have been in these public places to know their vaccination status and monitor for symptoms.
Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, white spots in the mouth, and a red rash. The rash usually starts on the face and spreads downward to the rest of the body. These symptoms typically develop 7 to 14 days after exposure but can take up to 21 days to appear. Because it can take up to three weeks for symptoms to show, individuals who may have been exposed to the positive measles case in Missoula on Nov. 22, 2025, should monitor for symptoms through Dec. 14, 2025.
Health officials urge those who are experiencing symptoms to call their provider ahead of time and make special arrangements to be evaluated without putting other patients and medical staff at risk.
The best way to prevent measles is to get vaccinated. No changes have been made to the existing measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine recommendations in the United States. Two doses of MMR are 97% effective in preventing measles. Most people in Missoula are vaccinated against measles.
Those looking for their vaccination or immunity status should try to find vaccination records or documentation of measles immunity. If someone is unable to find their vaccination records, they should:
- Contact the schools they attended (high school, college, or university) and ask if they have vaccination records on file.
- Contact their doctor’s office, urgent care, or pediatrician (If they haven’t been seen as a patient in years, they may still have records).
- Reach out to the health department where they grew up.
- Check their home state immunization registries.
If records don’t make it clear that the person has measles immunity, health officials encourage people to get the MMR vaccine.
The Missoula Public Health Immunization Clinic offers the MMR vaccine at 301 W. Alder St. on the first floor of the building. MPH offers a sliding fee scale, so no one is turned away for inability to pay. The clinic is open for walk-in appointments Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or by appointment only on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 406-258-3363 with questions or to schedule an appointment.
For updated information on measles, visit MPH’s website.
Additional information on measles activity in Montana can be found at Montana Department of Health and Human Services website.