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RICHMOND, Va. — Today, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) announced that Elaine Perry, M.D., former director of the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) and Central Region health director, is the new Deputy Commissioner for Community Health Services. She succeeds Susan Fischer Davis, M.D., who is retiring after more than four years in the role. A board-certified preventive medicine physician, Dr. Perry has served as RHHD director since July 2022. In October 2024, she expanded her leadership responsibilities by also serving as Central Region health director.

Dr. Perry brings decades of experience in clinical medicine, public health leadership, pharmaceutical safety, and epidemiology to her role. Her career began in the United States Navy, where she served five years on active duty as the senior medical officer at two clinics in Maine. Following her military service, she accepted the position of health director for the Peninsula Health District in Newport News.

A native of upstate New York, Dr. Perry earned a Bachelor of Science in biology, with honors in microbiology, from Penn State University. She attended Dartmouth Medical School and Brown Medical School, graduating with academic distinction. She completed a pediatrics internship at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth before completing a residency in preventive medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where she also earned a master’s degree in Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine.

Throughout her tenure at VDH, Dr. Perry has led efforts to strengthen public health infrastructure, advance disease prevention initiatives, and improve the health of communities across Central Virginia.

Dr. Perry assumed her new role as Deputy Commissioner for Community Health Services on June 25.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 25, 2026
Media Contact: Brookie Crawford, brookie.crawford@vdh.virginia.gov

Virginia Department of Health Expands Measles Outbreak Area to include Cumberland County
Virginia Health Officials Urge Residents and Visitors to Assess their Immunity

RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is geographically expanding the Buckingham County measles outbreak to include Cumberland County. All residents and visitors to these counties should take additional steps to ensure they are protected against measles. In addition to routine vaccination recommendations for children and adults, people who live in or visit Buckingham County, Cumberland County, or surrounding areas should talk with their healthcare provider about additional outbreak vaccination recommendations.

“Piedmont Health District continues to be grateful for the care with which the community has approached this measles outbreak,” said Piedmont Health District Director Maria Almond. “As this outbreak expands to Cumberland County, I ask for the community’s help to stop measles from gaining further ground by ensuring you are vaccinated.”

The outbreak area is expanding at this time because there is recent evidence of community transmission of measles in Cumberland County. No specific public exposure locations have been identified at this time. However, during this ongoing outbreak, Cumberland County residents and visitors are at a higher risk of exposure to measles.

As of June 25, Piedmont Health District is reporting 106 outbreak-associated measles cases and VDH is reporting a total of 129 measles cases statewide in 2026.

Measles is highly contagious and can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. Children younger than 12 months of age and others who are not vaccinated are very susceptible to infection if they are exposed to someone with measles.

How to Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones:

• Get Vaccinated: The best way to protect against measles is with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The MMR vaccine is safe and effective. If you or a loved one are not up to date with routine MMR vaccinations, contact a healthcare provider or your local health department to schedule a vaccine appointment today. People who live in or visit the Buckingham and Cumberland County area should talk with their healthcare provider about outbreak vaccination recommendations. These recommendations include considering an early MMR dose for infants older than six months of age to provide protection while measles is circulating in the community.
• Check Your Vaccination Status: To check your vaccination status, call your healthcare provider or request records through the VDH Record Request Portal. If you have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or were born before 1957, you are considered protected.
• Avoid large gatherings in the outbreak area if you are not vaccinated against measles or are experiencing symptoms of measles. Attendance at large, crowded events can increase your risk of exposure if you are unvaccinated.
• If you think you might have measles, stay home and call a healthcare provider or your local health department right away. If you need to seek healthcare, call ahead to notify them. This call will help protect other patients and staff.

For updates on the outbreak, please visit the VDH measles dashboard. Updates will be posted Tuesdays and Thursdays around noon.

For more information about measles, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/measles/. For additional questions, contact VDH’s Call Center at 877-829-4682 (Option 2), The VDH Call Center is available Monday–Friday (except holidays) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Media Contact: Brookie Crawford, brookie.crawford@vdh.virginia.gov

Virginia Department of Health is Working to Identify People Who Are at Risk

RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) was notified of a confirmed case of measles that traveled through Washington Dulles International Airport Wednesday, June 17. The person traveled internationally and is an out-of-state resident. To protect the patient’s privacy, VDH will not provide any additional information about the patient. Health officials are coordinating an effort to identify people who might have been exposed, including contacting potentially exposed passengers on specific flights.

Listed below are the dates, times, and location of the potential exposure site in Virginia:

• Dulles International Airport (IAD): Concourse C, on transportation to the International Arrivals Building (IAB), and in the baggage claim area between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 17.

Any additional exposure sites identified in Virginia will be posted to the VDH Measles website. Additional exposure sites have been identified in Washington, D.C., and Maryland.

What to Do If You Have Been Exposed to Measles

Most people in Virginia have immunity to measles through vaccination, so the risk to the general public is low. However, anyone who was at the potential exposure site at the date and times listed should:

• Report your exposure to VDH by completing this short survey. Public health officials will follow up with respondents if additional actions are needed.
• Find out if you have been vaccinated for measles or have had measles previously. Make sure you are up to date with the recommended number of measles (MMR) vaccinations.
  • To check your immunization status, call your healthcare provider or request records through the VDH Record Request Portal.
  • If you have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or were born before 1957, you are considered protected and do not need to seek post-exposure treatment at this time.
• If you are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles, you should contact your healthcare provider or call your local health department promptly to discuss any questions you might have. People who are not immune to measles may qualify for post-exposure treatments. A small timeframe exists for these protective post-exposure treatments to be effective.
• Watch for symptoms of measles for 21 days after the potential exposure. Monitoring for symptoms is especially important for people who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles.
  • If you notice symptoms of measles, immediately isolate yourself by staying home. Contact your healthcare provider right away. If you need to seek healthcare, call ahead before going to your healthcare provider’s office or the emergency room to notify them that you may have been exposed to measles and ask them to call the local health department. This call will help protect other patients and staff.
  • The most likely time you would become sick would be between June 24 and July 8.
  • Contact your local health department or email epi_response@vdh.virginia.gov to discuss any additional recommendations.

General Measles Information

Measles is a highly contagious illness that can spread easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. Measles symptoms usually appear in two stages. In the first stage, most people have a fever of greater than 101 degrees, runny nose, watery red eyes, and a cough. These symptoms usually start seven to 14 days after being exposed. The second stage starts three to five days after symptoms start, when a rash begins to appear on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. People with measles are contagious from four days before the rash appears through four days after the rash appeared.

Measles is preventable through a safe and effective MMR vaccine. Two doses of the vaccine are given to provide lifetime protection. Virginia has high measles vaccination rates, with approximately 95% of kindergarteners fully vaccinated against measles. However, infants who are too young to be vaccinated, and others who are not vaccinated, are at high risk of developing measles if they are exposed. Infants six months through 11 months of age who will be traveling internationally, or to an outbreak setting, should receive one dose of MMR vaccine prior to travel. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions about the MMR vaccine.

To date in 2026, Virginia has reported 129 cases of measles; 106 of these have been associated with an on-going measles outbreak in Buckingham County.

For more information about measles visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/measles/. For additional questions, contact VDH’s Call Center at 877-829-4682 (Option 2 then Option 3 “Other”), The VDH Call Center is available Monday–Friday (except holidays) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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