According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), cases of measles are on the rise in Colorado. From 2014 to 2024, a total of six cases in the state were confirmed. In 2025, that number climbed to 36 confirmed cases.
As of March 2026, 12 cases of measles in Colorado have been confirmed, with two confirmed cases in February and 10 confirmed cases in March.
The CDPHE reported that 11 of the 12 cases affected individuals who had not received the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine (typically given in two doses), and one case appeared in an individual who had received a single dose of the vaccine.
Grace Franklin has served as San Miguel County’s Public Health Director for the past six years. Prior to this role, she served at the CDPHE in family planning and maternal health roles.
Franklin said the rise in measles cases has been seen across the U.S.
“I think that we will continue to see measles for quite awhile, just due to varied immunization rates across the U.S.,” said Franklin.
She said that when most people think of measles, they often think of its characteristic rash, but she added it’s important for people to know that the disease can lead to severe complications, including serious respiratory illness, hearing loss and encephalitis (swelling of the brain).
Franklin explained that measles is highly contagious.
“A person can spread measles before exhibiting symptoms, which is why it's so tricky to contain,” she said.
Additionally, Franklin said that out of those who are “unimmune,” either unvaccinated or have never had the disease, nine of 10 are likely to get sick if exposed. She said the MMR vaccine is the best defense against measles, with a 97% protection rate after the second dose.
If a case of measles were to be confirmed in a local school, Franklin said anyone unable to prove their immunity would be required to quarantine for 21 days after exposure.
If members of the student’s household are immune, they wouldn’t be required to quarantine with the student. But, Franklin pointed out that depending on the student’s age, a parent may be required to miss work for that 21-day period to stay home with them.
School immunization data is public, and can be found on the CDHPE’s website. According to the data for the 2024-25 school year, at Nucla High School 91.9% of students had received both doses of the MMR vaccine, while the middle school reported at 83.8%. Norwood’s K-12 had an immunization rate of 97.3%.
Mimi Johnson is a local mother of two. She said she doesn’t vaccinate her children, and shared her reasoning with the Forum.
Johnson explained that she vaccinated her first child until the age of 4, although she said that she didn’t follow the regular vaccine schedule because she was wary.
She said during her first child’s 18-month wellness visit, he received five shots, including a dose of the MMR vaccine. After this visit, he developed serum sickness.
“He couldn't walk and had to go to the hospital,” she said.
Johnson said her son was diagnosed with an occupational disorder, which doctors told her was not caused by vaccines. Despite this, Johnson said she believes they were the cause, after she and her family considered everything he had been exposed to that could have caused the disorder.
Johnson said she doesn’t have a plan if her children get sick, but said she believes many of the diseases that are currently vaccinated against aren’t as dangerous as people are made to believe. She said when she was a kid there was such a thing as “chicken pox parties,” which intentionally exposed children to chicken pox, so they would get the illness and develop immunity to it.
Apart from her son’s experience, Johnson said she’s wary of vaccines because manufacturers face no liability. She also claimed that vaccines are approved by the USDA as opposed to the FDA, which she feels creates a grey area for safety.
Additionally, Johnson believes that kids today are given too many vaccines. She said of the MMR vaccine, “I think if they separated those three, people would be more likely to take it.”
