A Weld County infant too young for the routine measles vaccine has tested positive for the disease after traveling internationally with family to a location with ongoing outbreaks, state health officials say, and the case has triggered exposure warnings at two Greeley hospitals and an Evans clinic. The infant received inpatient care and has since returned home.
The family had recently traveled internationally to a location with ongoing measles outbreaks, according to CPR, which reported the infant was not yet old enough for a routine MMR vaccination at the time of the trip. Possible exposure sites include Monfort Family Clinic, UCHealth Greeley Hospital and Banner North Colorado Medical Center, with potential exposure windows beginning Oct. 21 and including an overnight stretch at Banner's pediatric inpatient unit running from the evening of Oct. 25 into the morning of Oct. 28, according to The Denver Post, which reported specific time windows at each location.
Health Officials Urge Vigilance Through Mid-November
State health officials are advising anyone who may have crossed paths with the infant at the two Greeley hospitals to watch for symptoms, per the same Denver Post report. Measles symptoms include fever, red eyes, cough and runny nose, with a rash that typically develops on the face before progressing down the body after several days of flu-like illness, according to the outlet. People with measles are contagious for about four days before the rash even appears, the report notes.
Anyone exposed should watch for symptoms for 21 days, per CPR's report citing the state health department. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment notes that people exposed to measles typically develop symptoms 7 to 21 days after exposure. Anyone who develops relevant symptoms and believes they were exposed should call ahead before seeking care, the state health department advised, since doing so helps providers minimize risk to other patients, per the Denver Post's reporting.
Colorado's Case Count Keeps Climbing
This is the state's 27th measles case of 2026, and in 23 of those cases the infected person was not vaccinated, CPR reports. Eight people have been hospitalized so far this year, while Colorado has recorded zero measles deaths in 2026, according to the Denver Post. Nine counties have recorded cases so far, with Adams, Broomfield, Lake and Weld counties each logging multiple infections, per CPR's reporting.
The Weld County infant's case follows a measles diagnosis in a Jefferson County adult last month that marked the state's 26th case of the year, with possible exposures at Denver International Airport and an Arvada urgent care, as CPR reported at the time. Colorado recorded 36 measles cases in 2025, which CPR described as the most by far in recent years.
National Numbers Reach Decades-Long High
Nationally, the picture is more severe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reported 4,852 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. by the end of October, the highest number in decades, according to CPR. The same report states there have been four measles deaths nationwide in the U.S. this year, compared with three last year.
That national death toll conflicts with a separate figure: the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported its sixth confirmed measles-associated death in the state alone this year, a number that does not line up with CPR's national tally of four deaths. The discrepancy between the two figures is not resolved in available reporting.
Vaccination Gaps Leave Infants Vulnerable
Ninety-one percent of Coloradans have received at least one dose of the MMR vaccine, CPR reports, below the more-than-95-percent coverage level recommended by public health groups to prevent outbreaks. Children typically receive the MMR vaccine around their first birthday, but those traveling overseas can get an early dose starting at six months, according to the Denver Post. The state health department recommends that early dose specifically for infants 6 months and older who plan to travel internationally, per CPR.
Children vaccinated early still need three doses for full protection, while those vaccinated at the recommended time need two doses, the Denver Post reports. The Weld County infant's case underscores the gap that leaves the youngest travelers exposed: too young for the standard schedule, but still at risk when visiting places where outbreaks are active.
