Measles confirmed in Santa Clara County; Kaiser schedules restart after strike; Covered California enrollment window closes
San Jose, CA – February 28, 2026 – Measles confirmed in Santa Clara County, Kaiser services normalize after strike, and Covered CA enrollment closes.
A scan of publicly available health headlines from the last 144 hours did not turn up three strong, San Jose-specific stories that were both clearly local and broadly accessible. This update focuses on two developments with direct relevance to many San Jose patients, plus a brief insurance deadline reminder.
Outbreak watch: measles case confirmed in a Santa Clara County resident
Santa Clara County public health officials reported a confirmed measles case in an adult resident who recently traveled internationally. Officials said the person was vaccinated and is isolating at home.
Public health also issued a public exposure notice tied to a Burlingame restaurant visit on Feb. 23 and Feb. 24, and said the individual also visited private work and health care locations while infectious. People who may have been exposed were advised to stay home and contact a health provider before seeking care, so clinics can take steps to protect other patients and visitors.
Officials said symptoms can include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash, and may appear seven to 21 days after exposure. The county health officer emphasized that two doses of the MMR (or MMRV) vaccine are the best protection against measles.
Care access: Kaiser Permanente starts phased return to normal schedules
Kaiser Permanente said union-represented clinicians and staff were returning to normal schedules in a phased approach focused on patient safety, employee well-being and member access and experience. Kaiser also said it is working to update members about return-to-normal operations and the rescheduling of impacted appointments.
For San Jose residents who receive care through Kaiser facilities in the South Bay, the near-term impact may be most noticeable in routine scheduling: departments may need time to rebook postponed visits and work through backlogs, especially for specialty care.
Insurance reminder: Covered California said 2026 open enrollment has ended, with renewals staying strong while new plan selections declined as enhanced federal premium subsidies expired. People who missed open enrollment generally need a qualifying life event to sign up later, and current members may want to confirm premiums, deductibles and provider networks before non-urgent care.
Sources
https://publichealth.santaclaracounty.gov/news/news-release/public-health-announces-measles-case-santa-clara-county-resident
https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/who-we-are/labor-relations/alliance-national-bargaining/messages-employees/unac-uhcp-end-strikes-california-hawaii-markets
https://www.coveredca.com/newsroom/news-releases/2026/02/26/as-enhanced-federal-subsidies-expire-covered-california-ends-open-enrollment-with-state-subsidies-keeping-renewals-steady-for-now-and-new-signups-down/
