Advertisement Measles warning expanded to Wellesley medical office Patient was at office on Feb. 17 Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Patients at a local clinic are being warned of possible measles exposure after a confirmed case of the illness was reported at the office last week.Watch ReportThe patient was at the Harvard Vanguard Clinic on Route 9 in Wellesley on Feb. 17. Officials said anyone who worked at or went to the clinic on that day may have been exposed.According to officials, someone went to the clinic thinking they had the flu. They were later diagnosed with the measles."The safety and well-being of our patients and staff is our utmost priority," Dr. Benjamin Kruskal, chief of infectious disease at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, said in a statement. "We've been working closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to notify anyone who may have been exposed to measles on Feb. 17, and to seek verification of their immune status."One patient at the medical office said she and her boyfriend are now home from work waiting on blood work."My boyfriend is getting this taken out of his vacation time," Kellie Carnathan said. "My insurance doesn't cover bloodwork."Carnathan said its not the cost or inconvenience that's frustrating, but just how long it took health officials to alert everyone."I'm irritated about the fact that in the event I'm not immune, or my boyfriend isn't immune, then we've exposed several other people. Many other people," she said.The latest warning comes after two confirmed cases were reported in MetroWest and concerns of possible exposure at a Framingham grocery store and restaurant.One of the cases is an employee of the Framingham-based Bose Corp., the company said Tuesday. The employee lives in Spencer.The second case has been confirmed in a Framingham Trader Joe's employee who went to Samba Restaurant.It was one of those two confirmed cases who went to the Wellesley doctor's office.According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, "a confirmed case of measles was (at Samba on Route 9) while infectious on Feb. 15 between the hours of 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m."An alert was issued Monday for anyone who was at the Trader Joe's in Framingham on Feb. 15 or Feb. 16 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m."The short answer to that is: If they weren't in the store, the risk is minimal," said Kitty Mahoney, chief public health nurse for Framingham."We went to Trader Joe's, and we held clinics on the 22nd and the 24th. We've educated the employees, and we believe most of the employees have received their vaccination," said Steven Ward, Framingham director of public health.Early symptoms of measles occur 10 days to two weeks after exposure and may resemble a cold, but a rash occurs on the skin two to four days after the initial symptoms appear.People with measles may be contagious up to four days before the rash appears and for four days after the day the rash appears.