Maricopa County health officials warn of possible measles exposure at East Valley theater

PHOENIX — Maricopa County health officials issued a warning Friday about a possible measles exposure in the East Valley.

According to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH), the exposure, which involved someone who does not live in Maricopa County, happened at the Hale Centre Theatre Arizona on the following dates and times:

• Jan. 5, 6 and 7 from 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
• Jan. 8 and 9 from 3 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Health officials said anyone who was at the theatre at those times should watch for symptoms through Jan. 30.

“Anyone who’s there may have been exposed,” Maricopa County Department of Public Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nick Staab told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Friday. “We know that measles is a very infectious disease, and so, (we’re) wanting to make sure that people are monitoring for those signs.”

Health officials declined to disclose if the person at the center of this exposure was vaccinated.

The warning came a day after Maricopa County’s first measles case of 2026 was confirmed in an adult who lives in the Valley.

What are the symptoms of measles?

Symptoms of measles include a fever, red and watery eyes, a cough, a runny nose and a rash that develops after the other symptoms and is red, raised and blotchy.

The health department added that the rash usually appears first on the face, near a person’s hairline, before moving down the body. The rash can last five to six days.

Anyone who develops symptoms is encouraged to self-isolate and seek medical care. Those who believe they have been infected should call their doctor in advance to ensure that other patients in waiting areas are not exposed to the virus.

The illness can typically be prevented through two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine, which is recommended for all children. Adults who are not immunized should receive at least one dose, according to MCDPH.

“The best way to protect yourself from measles is to be vaccinated,” Staab said.

However, because the MMR vaccine is only 97% effective, there is still a chance that vaccinated individuals could be infected.

“We’re asking that everyone know their risk and monitor for signs of illness if they were at this location,” Staab said.

How does measles spread?

Measles spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Staab said Thursday that the virus is “very easy to catch just by being in the same space as someone who is infectious with measles. You can even be infected with measles up to two hours after the infectious person has left that area.”

Arizona had 220 measles cases in 2025, most of which were part of an outbreak in Mohave County near the Arizona-Utah border, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Balin Overstolz-McNair contributed to this report.

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