The countdown clock is ticking for people who aren’t vaccinated against measles and visited an urgent care facility or emergency room in Larimer County on Monday afternoon.
An unvaccinated adult who was a close contact of a known measles case in Weld County visited two health care facilities on Monday, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
The virus can stay in the air for up to two hours, so the exposure windows overlap:
- UCHealth Primary Care Johnstown, 4846 Larimer Parkway, 3:15-5:20 p.m. Monday
- Banner Fort Collins Medical Center emergency department, 4700 Lady Moon Drive, 3:35-6:10 p.m. Monday
Getting the shot up to 72 hours after exposure to the measles virus reduces the odds of getting sick. People who miss that window may still be able to prevent or reduce symptoms if they get an antibody product within six days, though the odds get longer as time passes.
Two shots of the measles vaccine are about 97% effective in preventing illness, if given at least two weeks before the person encounters the virus.
People exposed on Monday could develop symptoms through May 4.
Early signs include a fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, with a rash starting at the hairline about four days after someone becomes contagious.
Anyone who develops symptoms after a known measles exposure should call ahead before seeking medical care, so the clinic or hospital can reduce the odds that other patients will get the virus. The state health department couldn’t immediately confirm if the person who sought care Monday knew they could have measles.
Typically, the health department asks unvaccinated people with a known measles exposure to quarantine for 21 days.
The new measles case is the fifth confirmed in Weld County this year and 16th in Colorado.
