Chaffee County, CO- Chaffee County Public Health (CCPH) has recently been made aware of a confirmed measles
case that received healthcare in Chaffee County. The case resides outside of the County and has had minimal
exposure to local contacts. While the situation has been deemed very low risk, CCPH is updating the community so
that the public is made aware of this incident and can take measures now to protect themselves from measles.
As we see alarming outbreaks throughout the country, the common factor in all of them has been vaccination status.
Depending on the source, the cost to a community for each Measles case is estimated to be between
$45,000-75,000. Extensive resources and time go into responding to each Measles case, and the current quarantine
timeframe for someone who has had close contact with a Measles case and has not been vaccinated with the
measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine can be up to 21 days. As a highly contagious disease that was once
extremely rare in the United States, measles does pose a threat to Chaffee County, and CCPH encourages everyone
to get the MMR vaccine. If the status of immunization is unknown and cannot be confirmed, consider getting a blood
test to determine immunity, although this is generally not recommended until other options are exhausted. There
are numerous places to get the MMR vaccine, including CCPH. For more information about measles and the MMR
vaccine, call CCPH at 719-539-4510 and ask for a nurse. Information can also be found on the Colorado Department
of Public Health and Environment’s website at: https://cdphe.colorado.gov/dcphr/measles-information.
Measles is a highly contagious and acute respiratory viral disease. Measles is caused by a virus that lives in the nose
and throat mucus of an infected person and spreads easily through breathing, coughing, and sneezing. Measles can
spread in the air up to 2 hours after the infected person has been in the area. Symptoms include rash, cough, runny
nose, eye irritation, and fever. Measles can be a serious disease. It is not a mild rash illness as many think it is and
can lead to severe complications, hospitalization or death, especially in children under five and others who are
immunocompromised, especially if unvaccinated. Though rare, measles infection can cause a fatal brain disease
7-10 years after infection. Additionally, measles can also result in immune amnesia, where the immune system’s
memory of past infections is erased, leaving patients vulnerable to other diseases for months.
The MMR vaccine is highly effective. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective against measles.
Unfortunately, babies under 6 months cannot get the vaccine, and therefore, are vulnerable to contracting measles.