DENVER — Broomfield County has officially been declared the site of a measles outbreak by state health officials after a child who knows one of the infected students at Broomfield High School tested positive for the virus.
This latest case, identified by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment as an unvaccinated child from Adams County, is the second for the county and the fourth for the state so far this year. Because this is the third case connected to the school, it now fits the definition of an outbreak, a CDPHE spokesperson said in a news release Wednesday.
- The child could have exposed students at Broomfield Heights Middle School, located at 1555 Daphne St., between Tuesday, Feb. 17 and Thursday, Feb. 19.
- People could have also been exposed at the Broomfield Community Center, located at 280 Spader Way, on Thursday, Feb. 19, between 7:35 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., according to the CDPHE.
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads through the air and can remain airborne for up to two hours — meaning the child may have exposed hundreds of people at those two locations.
In an email to Denver7, the CDPHE spokesperson said the nature of Colorado's first measles outbreak of the year is complex as it involves people "that reside in surrounding counties."
Speaking to Denver7 over the phone, the spokesperson said public health investigators are still working to determine how the first student at Broomfield High School was exposed since there was no known connection to recent exposures reported in the state, and the student had not traveled to areas with ongoing outbreaks, suggesting there is community spread of the virus occurring in the county at this time.
"Investigations to determine the scope of the outbreak and exposures at other schools and in the community are ongoing," the CDPHE spokesperson 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 and avoid public gatherings or high-risk settings, health officials said in a news release.
State health officials said those who were potentially exposed over the weekend may develop symptoms through Thursday, March 12
Symptoms to watch out for include anything from a fever, a cough, a runny nose, and red, watery eyes that develop into a rash that starts on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body about three to five days after symptoms first start. A person with measles is contagious four days before and four days after the rash appears.
If you were at any of the locations listed earlier in this story and develop measles symptoms, you are asked to contact the CDPHE at 720-653-3369 or your local public health agency immediately by phone before trying to seek treatment to avoid other people from becoming potentially infected with the virus. If you do not have a provider, call an urgent care center or emergency department and explain that you may have been exposed to measles.
While most people recover within two or three weeks after contracting the virus, unvaccinated people run the risk of complications from the disease, including ear infections, seizures, pneumonia, immune amnesia, brain damage and ultimately, death.
Measles only spreads from people who show symptoms; it does not spread from people who aren’t feeling sick, state health officials said.
- Denver7 took an in-depth look at measles vaccine hesitancy through the eyes of infection experts, a holistic pediatrician, and the psychology behind the politics of it all. You can watch that report in the video player below:
Unvaccinated people exposed to the virus can get the MMR vaccine 72 hours after exposure (but before symptoms are 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.
“Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your community,” the CDPHE spokesperson said.
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.
Boulder Valley School District 'working to support' affected students
As of Monday, 26 Broomfield High School students were forbidden from attending school — down from an initial 42 on Friday — after school district officials and public health authorities worked to verify each student's vaccination status.
That list was expanded to include any student or staff member at Broomfield Heights Middle not vaccinated against measles by Wednesday, though a spokesperson for the district deferred questions about the number of people affected by the exclusions to public health authorities.
A spokesperson for the Broomfield County Health Department said the agency is not releasing exclusion information to protect student privacy.
In a letter joint letter to parents, Broomfield Heights Middle School Principal Bryan Graham and Boulder Valley School District Director of Health Services Margaret Huffman, said families of studies who are forbidden forbidden from attending the campus "will not be allowed on campus for any reason, school or otherwise until their exclusion or quarantine period ends."
All other students who are vaccinated against measles can still go to school as long as they are symptom-free, the officials wrote.
Parents of students showing signs of illness were encouraged to keep their kids home from school.
Denver7 reached out to the Boulder Valley School District to ask what kind of academic support children who cannot attend class will receive.
In a statement, BVSD spokesman Randy Barber said both Broomfield Heights Middle School and Broomfield High School "are working to support students who are excluded or quarantined because of these cases." He did not go into detail as to what that support looks like.
He said families of affected students were encouraged to reach out to their school administrators or teachers "to see what assignments can be completed while they are out on leave."
"We, of course, will work to support students during this situation," Barber said.
As of Wednesday, Colorado has reported cases of the virus in Adams (2), Arapahoe (1) and Broomfield (1) counties. On average, the state sees between zero and two cases each year. 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 1,000.
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