measles – The Denver Post Colorado breaking news, sports, business, weather, entertainment. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 04:05:17 +0000 en-US hourly 30 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /wp-content/uploads/2016/05/cropped-DP_bug_denverpost.jpg?w=32 measles – The Denver Post 32 32 111738712 New Colorado measles case confirmed in Lake County /2026/04/22/colorado-measles-lake-county/ Thu, 23 Apr 2026 04:05:17 +0000 /?p=7491275 A child in Lake County has a confirmed case of measles, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Lake County Public Health announced Wednesday.

The unvaccinated child had traveled to a state with recent measles cases. The following locations have been identified as places with possible measles exposure:

  • Mineral 1886 Restaurant, 700 Harrison Ave., Leadville, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
  • Lake County High School, 1000 W. 4th St., Leadville, 7:35 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Monday
  • St. Vincent Hospital Emergency Department, 816 W. 4th St., Leadville, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday

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.

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.

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.

Typically, the health department asks unvaccinated people with a known measles exposure to quarantine for 21 days.

The new measles case is the 17th in Colorado this year.

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New Weld County measles case brings possible exposures at 2 health centers in Larimer County /2026/04/14/colorado-measles-larimer-county-weld-johnstown-fort-collins/ Tue, 14 Apr 2026 23:04:38 +0000 /?p=7483589 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.

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New measles cases linked to Colorado Springs exposure, state says /2026/04/08/measles-colorado-springs-weld/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 01:00:08 +0000 /?p=7478629 Two Weld County residents with newly confirmed measles cases may have exposed people at a Colorado Springs Chick-fil-A to the virus in late March, state and local public health officials said.

The two new cases are in unvaccinated adults who are “household contacts” of a previously confirmed case, the and Weld County Public Health said in a news release Wednesday. The cases are not connected to an outbreak in Broomfield.

The Weld County residents may have exposed people to the virus who were at the Shopping Center, 505 N. Academy Blvd, from 5-8 p.m. on March 25.

People who were exposed may develop symptoms any time through April 15, according to state officials. Symptoms can include fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by a rash that usually starts on the face several days later and spreads.

Those who may have been exposed should monitor for symptoms, particularly if they have not been vaccinated. That includes infants younger than 1 year who are not routinely recommended to get the vaccine, CDPHE officials said.

Anyone who develops symptoms should contact their local public health agency or state public health officials at 720-653-3369.

in 2025 and 15 so far in 2026, compared to six total cases between 2014 and 2024, state data shows.

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Measles confirmed in Weld County resident, possible exposure at northern Colorado hospital /2026/03/18/colorado-measles-weld-loveland-uchealth/ Thu, 19 Mar 2026 02:13:36 +0000 /?p=7459356 A Weld County resident has a confirmed case of the measles and may have exposed people at a northern Colorado hospital to the virus this week, public health officials said Wednesday.

The resident, an adult who was not vaccinated, recently traveled to an area in a different state that has an outbreak, officials with the and Weld County Public Health said in a news release.

Check MMR vaccination rates for Colorado schools, preschools and child care facilities

"The person was hospitalized but has been discharged. Public health officials do not believe it to be connected to the current outbreak in the Broomfield area," agency leaders said.

People who were at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies emergency department, 2500 Rocky Mountain Ave. in Loveland, between 5:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Tuesday may have been exposed to the measles.

People who were at the hospital's outpatient pharmacy between 11:25 a.m. and 1:25 p.m. Wednesday may also have been exposed, public health officials said.

Anyone who was exposed and is not vaccinated can get the vaccine within 72 hours of exposure -- in this case, by 8 p.m. Friday -- to help prevent illness, according to CDPHE.

Measles symptoms, including fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, may appear through April 8. People may also develop a rash that usually starts on the face several days after the initial symptoms develop.

Anyone who develops symptoms should call their local public health agency or state public health officials at 720-653-3369 immediately. Those in need of medical care should call their doctor, urgent care or emergency department before arriving to help limit additional exposures.

Public health officials have confirmed so far this year, according to the CDPHE online dashboard. Ten of those cases are part of an outbreak linked to two schools in Broomfield. And all but one occurred in people who were not vaccinated.

There were 35 confirmed , 24 of which were in people who did not have the vaccine.

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Measles exposure reported at Arvada sports bar as Broomfield outbreak total reaches 9 /2026/03/12/measles-arvada-broomfield-outbreak/ Thu, 12 Mar 2026 19:38:09 +0000 /?p=7451762 People who visited an Arvada sports bar on Tuesday night should watch for measles symptoms and get the vaccine immediately if they haven’t already received it, Colorado public health officials said Thursday.

Someone who lives in the same household as one of the people sickened in the Broomfield schools outbreak — which has grown to nine cases — visited , 5225 W. 80th Ave. in Arvada, at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Check MMR vaccination rates for Colorado schools, preschools and child care facilities

Because the virus can linger in the air up to two hours after a sick person leaves, it could have infected people until about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Symptoms could develop through April 1.

Bout Time said all employees are vaccinated and no one has shown signs of illness. The Arvada location underwent cleaning after learning about the customer with a presumed measles infection and is now operating as normal, the company's statement said.

The measles vaccine can reduce the odds that a previously unvaccinated person will get sick if they receive it within 72 hours of exposure, meaning that people exposed Tuesday have until Friday evening to get the shot, according to the .

The Broomfield outbreak now includes nine cases and may soon grow to 10, with the state health department on Thursday announcing two new confirmed infections and one probable case in people who share living space with people who got sick.

Two were in quarantine because they are unvaccinated. The vaccinated person appears to have developed a breakthrough infection, though the state is still confirming their diagnosis.

Two doses of the vaccine are about 97% effective in preventing measles. People who experience a breakthrough infection can still infect others, though the odds are lower because they don't shed as much virus.

Measles causes a fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, with the rash appearing about four days after most people become contagious. Anyone who has those symptoms following a measles exposure should call ahead before seeking medical care, so the clinic or hospital can take precautions to protect others, the state health department said.

The department announced the first case tied to Broomfield High School on Feb. 27 and declared an outbreak on March 5 following two additional cases. All of the cases have ties to either Broomfield High School or Broomfield Heights Middle School, or live in the same household as one of the previous cases.

About 80 people, most of them students, had to stay out of school for three weeks following their exposures because they aren't vaccinated and don't have proof of immunity. The two schools have about 2,275 students combined.

The outbreak has resulted in exposures at 21 locations, including health care facilities, restaurants, a community center and Denver International Airport.

Last year, the , mostly in people who traveled to countries or states with ongoing outbreaks. It was a marked departure from the previous decade, when Colorado had no more than two cases per year.

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Check MMR vaccination rates for Colorado schools, preschools and child care facilities /2026/03/06/colorado-measles-outbreak-vaccination-rates-dashboard/ Fri, 06 Mar 2026 23:36:45 +0000 /?p=7446638

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4 more measles cases linked to Broomfield school outbreak, with new exposure at Denver airport /2026/03/06/measles-broomfield-schools-denver-airport/ Fri, 06 Mar 2026 16:57:04 +0000 /?p=7445871 The measles outbreak linked to two Broomfield schools grew to seven cases Friday as state officials ordered scores of unvaccinated students to stay home for at least three weeks.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported four new measles cases Friday: three in Adams County and one in Weld County. All four patients had ties to Broomfield High School or Broomfield Heights Middle School.

The agency also publicly identified 10 new locations where people could have been exposed to the measles virus, including Denver International Airport.

The first case tied to Broomfield High was announced Feb. 27 and public health officials declared the outbreak Wednesday following the confirmation of a third case, in a Broomfield Heights student who had contact with one of the cases connected to Broomfield High.

All seven people who got measles as part of the Broomfield outbreak are unvaccinated.

The two schools, which enroll a combined 2,275 students, have high vaccination rates. State health records show 97% of Broomfield High students and 96.7% of Broomfield Heights students in the 2024-25 school year had received the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

Check MMR vaccination rates for Colorado schools, preschools and child care facilities

As of Friday, state health officials had "excluded" 80 people -- mostly students -- from the two Broomfield schools because they were either unvaccinated or could not provide proof of immunity, said Hope Shuler, interim communications director for the Department of Public Health and Environment.

Those students and staffers -- including any with medical or nonmedical vaccine exemptions -- will not be allowed to return to school for at least three weeks, since it can take up to 21 days after exposure to the measles virus to develop symptoms, Shuler said in an email.

But if more measles cases are detected at either of those schools, the unvaccinated students may need to stay home beyond the initial three-week period.

"It is not a countdown from the first case; it is a countdown from the last known exposure at the school," Shuler said.

School leaders at Broomfield Heights and Broomfield High are "working to support students who are excluded or quarantined because of these cases," said Randy Barber, chief communications officer at the Boulder Valley School District.

The district is following its normal protocol for students who are out of class for extended periods with medical or family issues, Barber said in an email. Students "are encouraged to connect with their school administration and/or teachers to see what assignments can be completed while they are out on leave," he said.

New exposure locations

State health officials on Friday also announced 10 new locations where people may have been exposed to the virus through the new patients, including DIA on Feb. 16.

Other possible exposure locations include health facilities in Broomfield, Westminster and Frederick, as well as restaurants, a church and a bowling alley.

These are the newly reported locations where people could have become infected:

  • Arby's, 5130 W. 92nd Ave., Westminster, 1-4:10 p.m. Feb. 21. Symptoms could appear through March 14.
  • Broomfield Heights Middle School, 1555 Daphne St., 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 24. Symptoms could appear through March 17.
  • Children's Hospital Colorado North Campus, 469 Colorado 7, Broomfield, 3:15-10 p.m. Feb. 18. Symptoms could appear through March 11.
  • Chippers Bowling Alley, 100 Nickel St., Broomfield, 12:25-3:50 p.m. Feb. 19 and 1:05-4 p.m. Feb. 20. Symptoms could appear through March 12 or March 13.
  • Coldstone Creamery, 10443 Town Center Drive, Westminster, 7-10 p.m. Feb. 19 and 5-10 p.m. Feb. 22. Symptoms could appear through March 12 or March 15.
  • CommonSpirit Emergency and Urgent Care Indian Peaks, 4943 State Highway 52, Frederick, 1:45-5 p.m. Feb. 20. Symptoms could appear through March 13.
  • Denver International Airport, 6-9 p.m. Feb. 16. Symptoms could appear through March 9.
  • Kaiser Permanente Hidden Lake offices, 7701 Sheridan Blvd., Westminster, 1-4 p.m. Feb. 18. Symptoms could appear through March 11.
  • Kaiser Permanente Westminster clinic, 11245 Huron St., 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 25. Symptoms could appear through March 18.
  • Woodside Baptist Church, 8500 E. Alameda Ave., Denver, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 22. Symptoms could appear through March 15.

Measles vaccine is 97% effective

Symptoms of measles can appear up to three weeks after exposure. The first signs are nonspecific, including fever, cough, a runny nose and red eyes. The rash usually appears four days after the sick person becomes contagious.

People who develop symptoms after an exposure should call before seeking medical care, to reduce the odds of infecting others.

Two doses of the measles vaccine are about 97% effective in preventing infection. Unvaccinated people can reduce their odds of getting sick if they get the shot within 72 hours of exposure, but that window has passed for contacts of the newly identified cases.

Colorado has confirmed eight measles cases so far in 2026, all among unvaccinated people. Last year, amid outbreaks around the nation, the state recorded 36 cases -- an exponential increase over the past decade, during which each year saw between zero and two cases.

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Measles exposure locations in Colorado: A school, restaurant, sports bar and hospital /2026/03/05/colorado-measles-outbreak-exposures/ Thu, 05 Mar 2026 20:50:23 +0000 /?p=7444515 Colorado has confirmed 12 measles cases so far in 2026, including 10 that are linked to an outbreak centered on two Broomfield schools.

can take up to three weeks to appear and initially are nonspecific: a fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes. The rash, which typically starts at the hairline and moves down, appears about four days after someone becomes contagious, so people can spread the virus before they know what they have.

Check MMR vaccination rates for Colorado schools, preschools and child care facilities

Many of the exposure sites identified by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment as being linked to the Broomfield outbreak have expired, though they still include a sports bar in Arvada, a Chipotle restaurant in Westminster and Broomfield High School.

Two new exposure sites have been identified at the UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland in connection with a Weld County measles case.

The current locations where people could have encountered the virus are:

  • Bout Time Pub & Grub, 5225 W. 80th Ave., Arvada, 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. March 10-11. Symptoms could appear through April 1.
  • Broomfield High School, 1 Eagle Way, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 19-20 and Feb. 23-27. Symptoms could appear through March 20.
  • Chipotle, 5160 W. 120th Ave., Westminster, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 26. Symptoms could appear through March 19.
  • UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies Emergency Department, 2500 Rocky Mountain Ave., Loveland, 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., March 17. Symptoms could appear through April 7.
  • UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies Outpatient Pharmacy, 2500 Rocky Mountain Ave., Loveland, 11:25 a.m. to 1:25 p.m. March 18. Symptoms could appear through April 8.

People who encountered the virus and develop symptoms should call ahead before going for medical care, to reduce the odds of spreading the virus.

Two doses of the measles vaccine reduce the odds of infection by about 97%. People who haven't been vaccinated can get partial protection if they receive the shot within about three days of exposure to the virus.

Last year, the state recorded 36 cases -- a huge increase over the past decade, during which each year saw between zero and two cases.

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Broomfield High School, businesses and medical facilities potential measles exposure spots /2026/02/27/measles-health-broomfield-case-symptoms/ Fri, 27 Feb 2026 19:38:20 +0000 /?p=7437276&preview=true&preview_id=7437276 People at Broomfield High School and six businesses and medical facilities in the area may have been exposed to measles, according to the state health department. A Broomfield child who had not been vaccinated was confirmed as a measles case, according to officials.

Six businesses or medical facilities, and the school, are listed as potential measles exposure locations, including the Broomfield King Soopers off U.S. 287, the PetSmart on Town Center Drive in Westminster and Efrain’s Mexican Restaurant in Lafayette, according to a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment news release Friday. Officials warn that unconfirmed cases may be traveling through the area.

The child confirmed to have measles had not gotten the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, according to the release. They have no known connection to a recent exposure situation reported at Denver International Airport, according to officials.

“The lack of a clear source of infection suggests that unidentified measles cases may be occurring in or traveling through the area,” said the release, which encourages people to get the MMR vaccine.

Anyone who attended Broomfield High School on Feb. 19, Feb. 20 or on Monday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., may have been exposed, according to officials. Students and staff at Broomfield High School who haven’t had the measles vaccine were asked to stay home from school starting Friday.

Any student or staff member who went to Broomfield High School on the days in question and who does not have an up-to-date MMR vaccination record on file with the district cannot go to school until their immunity status can be verified, according to officials.

Students and staff looking to attend school must have proof of measles immunity — otherwise they have to stay home, according to a letter from the Broomfield Public Health and Environment department circulated via email by the district.

Public health officials may reach out to students and staff to discuss measles immunity, according to the email, as well as symptoms and any next steps. Information will be kept confidential.

The Colorado health department and the Broomfield public health department began working with Broomfield High School to follow up, according to the email.

The businesses and medical facilities listed were:

• King Soopers at 1150 U.S. 287 in Broomfield between 1 and 5 p.m. Feb. 19 and between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday. Symptoms may develop through March 12 for the first period and March 14 for the latter;

• PetSmart Walnut Creek at 10460 Town Center Drive in Westminster between 7:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sunday. Symptoms may develop through March 15;

• Efrain’s Mexican Restaurant at 101 E. Cleveland St. in Lafayette between 5 and 10 p.m. Sunday. Symptoms may develop through March 15;

• Advanced Urgent Care at 3950 W. 144th Ave. in Broomfield between 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Symptoms may develop through March 17;

• UCHealth Broomfield Hospital Emergency Department at 11820 Destination Drive in Broomfield between 2:45 and 6 p.m. Tuesday. Symptoms may develop through March 17; and

• CU Medicine Family Medicine at 361 Centennial Parkway #120 in the Louisville area between 10:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Symptoms may develop through March 18.

People who were at the school or any one of the six businesses or medical facilities at the listed days and times should look out for measles symptoms for 21 days after, according to the release.

If you develop symptoms, officials ask that you call your health care provider, urgent care or an emergency department to tell them you may have been exposed to measles. Avoiding going directly into these facilities helps prevent further spread, officials wrote in the release.

Colorado health officials said the on its webpage would be updated as they identify any more.

Until the Broomfield case, there had only been one confirmed case of measles in Colorado this year, according to a .

An out-of-state traveler with a confirmed case of measles traveled through Denver International Airport and attended a church service in the state while infectious, according to Colorado health officials. The individual arrived on a flight Feb. 21 and departed Sunday, according to a news release.

“Because the passenger is fully vaccinated, the risk of transmission is lower, but still possible,” the release said.

On Sunday, the person attended a church service and reception at a church at 6853 S. Prince St. in Littleton, the release said.

Measles is a highly infectious but preventable disease with symptoms that can include fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, according to state health officials. Those symptoms are sometimes followed several days later by a rash on the face that spreads.

Getting vaccinated within 72 hours of exposure may prevent measles or reduce the severity of symptoms, state officials said. For 2025, Colorado confirmed 35 measles cases, the most the state has seen in a single year since at least 1996. Roughly two-thirds of those cases were in unvaccinated people, according to .

Anyone with questions or concerns can contact the Boulder Communicable Disease program at 303-413-7523 or email or contact the Broomfield Public Health Epi Team at epi@broomfield.org or by calling 720-887-2220, according to the email.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

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Measles case confirmed in Denver International Airport passenger who visited Littleton church /2026/02/24/measles-denver-airport-church-littleton/ Wed, 25 Feb 2026 02:58:50 +0000 /?p=7434098 A person with a confirmed case of the and attended a church service in Littleton over the weekend while they were infectious, Colorado public health officials said Tuesday.

The passenger arrived in Denver at 9:15 a.m. Saturday on Frontier flight 1279 from Miami, which landed at gate A83, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said in a news release.

Anyone in the area between 9:15 a.m. and noon may have been exposed.

The traveler then attended a service and reception at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 6853 S. Prince St. in Littleton, between 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday, and returned to DIA on Sunday night, where they departed on Frontier flight 1280 to Miami from gate A76 at 11:29 p.m.

Anyone at the airport between 9:30 p.m. Sunday and 1:30 a.m. Monday may have been exposed, the department said.

“Passengers who were potentially exposed on either of the flights will be notified directly by their state or local public health agency,” public health officials said. “Because the passenger is fully vaccinated, the risk of transmission is lower but still possible.”

Public health officials are providing free measles vaccinations to people who potentially were exposed at the church service starting Wednesday morning. Vaccination clinics will be at 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Arapahoe County Public Health Department, 4857 S. Broadway in Englewood; and from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

is a highly infectious but preventable disease with symptoms including fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, which are followed by a rash that starts several days later on the face and spreads.

Receiving a vaccine within 72 hours of being exposed may prevent measles or reduce the severity of symptoms, state officials said.

Colorado recorded 36 measles cases in 2025, the most the state has seen in a single year since at least 1996.

Most of the 2025 cases were among unvaccinated people, according to state public health data.

One measles case has been reported in Colorado in 2026 and was in Arapahoe County, CDPHE’s measles dashboard shows.

Updated 11:38 a.m. Feb. 25, 2025: Because of a reporter’s error, a previous version of this story listed an incorrect address for the Arapahoe County Public Health Department. The story has been corrected. 

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