LAKE COUNTY, Colo. — Health officials have confirmed a case of measles in an unvaccinated child in Lake County — and students and staff at Leadville's Lake County High School may have been exposed on Monday.
The child had traveled to another state with recent measles cases, according to a Wednesday release from state health officials. This is the first measles case in the county this year, marking 17 total cases in the state this year, according to Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment measles data.
In addition to Lake County High School, people at Mineral 1886 Restaurant in Leadville and the St. Vincent Hospital emergency department could have been exposed, according to health officials.
Here's CDPHE's full list of where and when exposures could have happened and how long to monitor for symptoms:
The department said it would add exposure locations as they're confirmed.
"Measles is a highly contagious but preventable disease," health officials said in the release. "Getting the MMR vaccine is the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your community."
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.
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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.
- Denver7 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 given 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 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 Lake (1) Weld (5), 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 1,700.
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