Public health officials have confirmed a new case of measles at a Colorado high school. They are also warning about potential exposures in Broomfield and Westminster.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Adams County Health Department confirmed the case in an Adams County resident.
It’s the second case of the virus at Broomfield High School. Neither of the students had received the measles, mumps and rubella or MMR vaccine, according to the joint press release from the two health agencies. Potential exposures for this positive case are under investigation.
Students and staff at Broomfield High who may need to take additional health precautions will be contacted directly by local public health officials and school administrators, they said.
The state has now recorded three measles cases this year, after recording 36 last year, which was the most the state had seen in years.
Potential exposure sites
Measles is a highly contagious disease, and preventable with the MMR vaccine.
“Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your community,” the release states.
Possible exposures happened at Broomfield High during the day from Tuesday, Feb. 24 to Friday, Feb. 27. They also may have occurred at a nearby Chick-fil-A in Broomfield, at 4260 W, 121st Ave., on Wednesday, Feb. 25 and a Chipotle in Westminster on Thursday, Feb. 26. Both happened midday.
Measles symptoms start with fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes, followed by a rash that usually starts several days later on the face and spreads, according to the health departments. They said if you have not had the MMR vaccine, you can still get it within 72 hours of exposure. That will help prevent illness. In some exposure cases, immunoglobulin, an antibody, given within six days may also help prevent or lessen illness.
Anyone who was in the locations at those listed dates and times may have been exposed. If you were there, watch for symptoms for 21 days after exposure. Call CDPHE (720-653-3369) or your local health department right away if symptoms develop. If you need medical care, do not delay.
The agencies said they will add any new exposure locations to the CDPHE exposures webpage as they are identified.
Measles gaining steam nationally
As of Feb. 26, 2026, 1,136 confirmed measles cases were reported in the U.S. in 2026, according to the CDC. That figure, in just two months, is about half the number recorded in all of 2025, which was considered a severe year.
Measles cases have been reported this year in 28 states, including Colorado.
There have been 10 new outbreaks reported in 2026, according to the CDC, and 90 percent of confirmed cases (1,023 of 1,136) are associated with outbreaks.
Details on the first two cases
The first two cases happened in the last few weeks.
In February, an unvaccinated elementary school-aged child from Arapahoe County tested positive for measles. That was the first measles case in a Colorado resident in 2026, according to a state health department spokesperson. Because the child was out of state during their entire infectious period, there was no risk of public exposure in Colorado (and therefore the state health department did not issue a press release about the case).
The second case was reported last week by health agencies in a Broomfield County resident. The child, who had not received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, has no known connection to recent exposures reported in Colorado and has not traveled outside the state.
Additional resources
For more details, you can visit the CDPHE measles webpage. It includes information about symptoms, transmission, and vaccine recommendations, 2026 Colorado measles case information, and a current list of exposure locations.
