WELD COUNTY, Colo. — Health officials have confirmed two more cases of measles in unvaccinated adults in Weld County.
Officials say the two are contacts of a previously confirmed case. They do not believe the case is related to the ongoing outbreak tied to Broomfield High School, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said in a Wednesday release. These are the third and fourth confirmed measles cases in the county this year, marking 15 total cases in the state this year, according to CDPHE measles data.
People at the Citadel Crossing Shopping Center Chick-fil-A at 505 N. Academy Blvd. in Colorado Springs on March 25 from 5-8 p.m. could have been exposed officials said. Symptoms for those exposed there could develop through April 15, according to officials.
Three weeks ago, public health officials reported another measles case in the county, saying that people in two parts of Loveland's UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies, located at 2500 Rocky Mountain Ave., could have been exposed in mid-March. Those locations are still listed on CDPHE's exposure page, with officials saying symptoms could still develop through Wednesday, April 8 from exposures at the locations in addition to the Chik-fil-A:
- UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies Emergency Department on Tuesday, March 17 from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies Outpatient Pharmacy on Wednesday, March 18 from 11:25 a.m. to 1:25 p.m.
CDPHE will add exposure locations to the list if they are identified, the release said.
What to do if you believe you were exposed
Anyone who believes they may have been exposed — especially those who have not been vaccinated with the MMR vaccine — should monitor for symptoms for 21 days, health officials said.
Measles symptoms typically begin with a fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes followed by a rash that starts on the face and then spreads.
Anyone who was at an exposure location and develops symptoms should call their local public health agency or CDPHE at 720-653-3369. Those who think they might have measles and need treatment should call ahead to tell their provider, urgent care or emergency room that they may have been exposed to prevent further spread, health officials said in the release.
- The Scripps News Group has been closely following confirmed cases of measles in Colorado since the number of cases exploded last year amid a multi-state outbreak in the U.S. Explore the map below to see where cases have popped up in 2026:
Unvaccinated people exposed to the virus can get the MMR vaccine 72 hours after exposure (but before symptoms present) to prevent an infection, according to health officials. Immunoglobulin (IG), if administered within six days of exposure, may also be used in some circumstances, they added.
While the two-dose series of the MMR vaccine has a 97% efficacy rate against infection, about 3 in every 100 people can still get infected if exposed to the virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Vaccinated individuals will usually develop milder symptoms and are less likely to spread it to others, according to state health officials.
People who got vaccinated against measles before 1968 should talk to their health care provider about possibly getting a booster as the vaccine used before that year wasn't as effective, according to officials.
As of Wednesday, Colorado has reported cases of the virus in Weld (4), Adams (5), Arapahoe (1), Broomfield (4) and Saguache (1) counties. The state saw between zero and two cases each year from 2014-2024. Last year, Colorado reported 36 measles cases amid a multi-state outbreak of the virus in the U.S.
Across the country, the number of confirmed measles infections has already topped 1,600.
