Portland shoppers avoid exposure sites amid measles outbreak
PORTLAND, ore. (KOIN) — The increasing spread of measles in the metropolitan area is causing people to change their shopping and eating habits.
Officials confirm three new display areas in restaurants Gresham and West Linn and a grocery store in Portland, Safeway on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard. Some people take extra steps to protect their families.
“Hearing about a case of measles in this area is enough for me to call them and tell them to send my prescription to another store,” said one customer who wished to remain anonymous. “It’s not worth taking it home to my kids and then taking it to their school. So now I’m going to walk away and go to a different Safeway.”
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A Safeway store on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard was the site of the measles exposure. April 3, 2026 (KOIN).
Other places health officials are warning people about are two local restaurants, Pho.com in Gresham and Lark Cafe in West Linn.
“I would definitely avoid exposed spots,” Safeway shopper Cynthia Star said. “I hope I got my vaccinations. At the beginning of this year, I tried to get the vaccinations I definitely needed.”
The Oregon Health Authority has confirmed a total of 13 cases of measles reported in Oregon this year. They said this was just the tip of the iceberg.
Oregon State Health Officer Dr. “We’re seeing measles detected in wastewater in counties where no measles cases were reported or no measles cases were reported at that time. So we know measles is much more prevalent in the state,” Dean Sidelinger said.
OHA has confirmed that at least one of these cases contracted the virus in one of these three locations. The CDC says that if a person has received both doses of the vaccine, the chance of that person getting measles is extremely low. However, OHA said they continue to see a decline in vaccination rates.
Dr. “Just three months in and having 13 cases, we think 2026 will probably surpass 2024, which is our highest number of cases in many years,” Sidelinger said.
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