Officials have shared a scary warning for attendees at a recent Shakira concert. According to an official statement, an person infected with measles was recently at a sold out Shakira show, possibly exposing many to the disease.
The exposure took place at Shakira's MetLife concert this past May 15th, in New Jersey, a sold out date with around 82,000 people in attendance. New Jersey officials shared a statement on May 20th, advising concert goers on the next steps to take.
“The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) is alerting residents about potential exposures associated with a newly identified case of measles in a non-NJ resident who attended a concert in NJ while infectious,” reads the statement.
“Potentially exposed individuals, if infected, could develop symptoms as late as June 6, 2025. As of the time of this release on May 20, no additional associated cases in New Jersey have been identified.”
Officials warned that anyone that was on attendance at the stadium between the hours of 7pm and 1am could have been exposed, with the virus transmitted via coughing or sneezing, and remaining in the air for up to two hours.
They advise anyone who suspects exposure to call their healthcare provider before stopping by their doctor.
Who should be on the lookout for these symptoms
Measles is a dangerous disease, especially for babies and children. Data shows that 1 in 5 people is hostpitalized as of symptoms of the disease, which include a high fever, runny eyes and nose, and coughing.
According to the CDC, most cases of measles occur in people that are unvaccinated. In some cases, adults may not know if they've been vaccinated against the disease, espeically if they don't remember getting their shots or if they don't have any way of corroborating that information with their caretakers.
To be protected against the virus, people must have received two shots of the MMR vaccine, which grants protection against rubella, measles, and rumps.