An unvaccinated Weld County resident has been confirmed as Colorado's 12th case of measles this year and the 10th this month, according to the state health department and Weld County Public Health.
The person had recently visited an outbreak area in another state and was hospitalized briefly with the highly contagious virus after returning to Colorado, said the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Health officials say this case is not connected to the outbreak in the Broomfield area that centered on Broomfield High School. All the people who contracted measles in that outbreak were unvaccinated youth, ages 5-17 years old, according to the department.
CDPHE listed two additional exposure sites that stem from this new case.
| Location | Date and time | When symptoms may develop |
|---|---|---|
| UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies, Outpatient Pharmacy, 2500 Rocky Mountain Ave. Loveland, CO 80538 | Tuesday, March 17 5:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Through April 7 |
| UCHealth Medical Center of the RockiesOutpatient Pharmacy2500 Rocky Mountain Ave. Loveland, CO 80538 | Wednesday, March 18 11:25 a.m. - 1:25 p.m. | Through April 8 |
The health department says anyone who thinks they might have been exposed should get vaccinated early, watch for symptoms and call their health facility before going in if they start feeling sick. Unvaccinated people who get the MMR within 72 hours of exposure may be able to prevent an infection, or at least weaken the virus.
The new case is the state's 12th this year, giving Colorado a rough start for measles cases. Last year, Colorado reported 36 cases total, which was the most the state had seen in years, and came as measles spread widely nationally. In March last year, Colorado had two confirmed measles cases, and it was May before the state logged as many infections as it’s seen so far in 2026.
Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases, spread by contact with an infected person, via coughing or sneezing, or breathing the same air as someone with measles.
The virus stays active and contagious in the air or on infected surfaces for up to two hours and experts estimate a single person infected by measles can spread it to around 18 other people.
For more information about measles and Colorado’s cases this year, go to the current Colorado measles case information on the health department’s website.
