HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — A student at Trantwood Elementary in the Great Neck community has been diagnosed with measles, raising concerns among some parents.
Virginia Beach City Public Schools notified families and staff of a reported case of measles at Trantwood Elementary. They said the first appearance of measles symptoms was on Aug. 26.
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All unvaccinated students and staff were directed to not attend school through Sept. 16, per guidance from VDH.
VBCPS informed News 3 in an additional statement on Thursday, saying, "As for vaccination rates, our immunization compliance (along with the MMR) has remained mostly consistent over the past years, with a slight fluctuation from year to year. The link below contains information about our immunization requirements."
The Virginia Beach School District says there are no additional cases at this time, but will continue monitoring closely to protect students.
Parent Renee Washington says her children are protected and hopes others will take the same steps.
“It could have been prevented if we were vaccinating our kids,” Washington said.
The Virginia Department of Health reports that the public may have been exposed to measles in Virginia Beach and Norfolk from Aug. 27 to 30.
The case reported by VDH and the Trantwood case have not been directly connected; however, VDH provided a list of times and locations where exposure to its reported case may have occurred.
VDH provided a list of when and where the public could have been exposed to measles:
- Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD) Health Center and Urgent Care at Loehmann’s Plaza, located at 3960 Virginia Beach Blvd in Virginia Beach Wednesday, August 27, from 5 to 8:30 p.m.
- CVS Pharmacy, located at 300 Laskin Road in Virginia Beach Thursday, August 28, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- CHKD Emergency Department/Hospital, located at 601 Children’s Lane in Norfolk
- Emergency Department: Saturday, Aug. 30, from 1:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Hospital: from Saturday, August 30, at 6 p.m. to Monday, September 1, at 6 p.m.
CHKD said on Thursday that they are contacting patients and families who may have been exposed to measles at the two CHKD locations listed above.
Patient families with questions or concerns about their children possibly being exposed are asked to call CHKD's information phone line at 757-668-9742.
“Vaccination saves lives and prevents illness,” said Dr. Chris Foley, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Operations Officer at CHKD. “The measles vaccine is very effective and very safe.”
Other experts are using the moment to reinforce the importance of routine childhood vaccinations, especially as immunization rates see a slight national decline.
"You hope the family and the child's okay, and, you know, make do everything you can as a parent to keep your kids safe," said Steven Jenson, a father of two young children.
Jenson said the news has strengthened his support for childhood vaccines, particularly the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella.
“Science is science, in my mind,” Jenson said. “These things have been proven over years and years, and it helps keep everybody safe, right? The herd immunity that everybody talks about with vaccines.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccination coverage for kindergartners in the U.S. declined slightly during the 2024–2025 school year across all routine childhood immunizations, including MMR, tetanus, and varicella (chickenpox).
However, Virginia has seen a more stable trend.
“Virginians are holding steady with the MMR vaccination rate from 93 to 95 percent, and that is within the range in what we aim for herd immunity,” said Christy Gray, director of the Division of Immunization at the Virginia Department of Health.
Still, Gray noted a rising number of parents seeking exemptions from school-required vaccines, a trend public health experts continue to monitor closely.
Jenson said his goal is to keep his kids healthy, in school, and enjoying the classroom experience just like he did growing up.
Watch: Childhood vaccination rates fall again
Health officials say you should watch for symptoms for 21 days. If you see any symptoms, they ask that you stay home and contact your doctor before visiting.
Measles symptoms include fever over 101 degrees, runny nose, watery red eyes, a cough and a rash.
The department says the child who contracted measles is between the ages of 5 and 12 and lives in the Eastern Region.
The department reports that the child has recently traveled internationally.
It is the fourth case of measles seen in the state this year.
Anyone with questions is asked to call their local health department.
The full statement from VBCPS is below:
We are writing to inform you that there was a reported case of measles at Trantwood Elementary School. The known date of onset for the illness was Tuesday, Aug. 26, the second day of school. Please refer to the letter linked here [drive.google.com] and below from the Virginia Department of Health for more detailed information about the illness and prevention measures.
We understand this is a very concerning situation. The health of our students and staff is of the utmost importance to us. Please know we are working very closely with the Virginia Department of Health to address this situation.
School is open under normal operations tomorrow for those who have been vaccinated. Unvaccinated students and staff, including those who have a medical or other exemption to vaccination, must not attend school through Sept. 16, 2025.
If you have any questions, call the Virginia Beach Department of Public Health at 757-278-6290 or visit the VDH Measles website at vdh.virginia.gov/measles.
The full statement from CHKD below:
Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters is providing information to patients, families and visitors who may have visited two of our locations where there was a potential exposure to measles, a highly contagious virus.
The potential exposures occurred in the following CHKD locations and times:CHKD is in the process of reaching out to patients and families who may have been exposed. Additionally, CHKD opened an information phone line for patient families to call if they have questions or concerns that their child may have been exposed to the virus. The phone number is (757) 668-9742.
- CHKD Health Center and Urgent Care at Loehmann’s Plaza, located at 3960 Virginia Beach Boulevard in Virginia Beach, on Wednesday, August 27, between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
- CHKD Hospital/Emergency Department located at 601 Children’s Lane in Norfolk
- Emergency Department: Saturday, August 30, between the hours of 1:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
- Select areas of the hospital from Saturday, August 30 at 6 p.m. to Monday, September 1, at 6 p.m.
Anyone who has been vaccinated for measles with two doses of the MMR vaccine or was born prior to 1957 is fully protected against measles. A single dose of the MMR vaccine is over 93% effective. Individuals other than patients and parents who visited CHKD at the above dates, times, and locations and are not protected against measles are encouraged to contact the Norfolk Health Department or their healthcare providers. They should also keep a watchful eye for symptoms of measles.
In its initial stages, measles shares symptoms with many other illnesses: fever, runny nose and cough. However, measles also causes a flat red rash that starts on the head and moves down to the trunk, arms and legs approximately three to five days after other symptoms start.
People who are infected may spread the virus to others four days before they develop a rash. Measles is especially dangerous to children and babies who are too young for vaccination and those with compromised immune systems.
“Vaccination saves lives and prevents illness,” said Dr. Chris Foley, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Operations Officer at CHKD. “The measles vaccine is very effective and very safe.”
Pediatricians recommend children receive the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine at 12 to 15 months and again at 4 to 6 years. Each dose of MMR lowers the risk of infection and the severity of illness for children who become infected.
If you are unsure if your child is up to date with their immunizations, contact your pediatrician. The MMR vaccine is available through your CHKD pediatrician’s office. CHKD does not provide the MMR vaccine in our urgent care centers or emergency department.
