Two more cases of measles have been confirmed by the state health department, bringing the total cases of the year to 10. All of the cases so far have been in unvaccinated people, ages 5 to 17 years old, according to the agency.
The new cases and seven others have all been linked to the outbreak that started at Broomfield High School.
“It's a great time to think about vaccination for measles as being the best way to prevent this from happening,” said Dr. Ned Calonge, the state’s chief medical officer.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Broomfield Public Health and Environment identified the two cases of measles and are investigating another in the area. The agencies say all three individuals share a house with someone with a previously confirmed case.
The alert comes as the state and local public health agencies responded to an outbreak of cases at Broomfield High School, which continued to spread. Dozens of unvaccinated students in the Boulder Valley School District were being told to not attend school and stay in quarantine for at least 21 days, after measles began to spread.
Cases have popped up in four Colorado counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield and Weld.
There is also a new potential exposure location related to the new cases. The health department identified Bout Time Pub Grill, at 5225 W. 80th Ave. in Arvada, from 8 p.m. Tuesday to 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Symptoms from this exposure could develop by April 1.
The health department says those who were exposed should get vaccinated early, watch for symptoms and call your health facility before going in. Unvaccinated people who get the MMR within 72 hours of exposure could prevent or weaken the virus.
The new case is the state's tenth this year, giving Colorado a rough start for measles cases for this year. Last year, it reported 36 cases last year, which was the most the state had seen in years, as measles spread widely nationally. In March last year, Colorado had two confirmed measles cases, and it was May before the state logged that many.
In the meantime, measles continues to spread widely around the country.
As of March 5, 2026, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,281 confirmed measles cases were reported in the U.S. in 2026. Cases were reported by 31 states. The vast majority of cases, 93%, were in people who were unvaccinated with the MMR or measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, according to the agency.
Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases, spread by contact with an infected person, via coughing or sneezing, or breathing the air that was breathed by someone with measles.
The virus stays active and contagious in the air or on infected surfaces for up to two hours.
One person infected by measles can generate up to 18 secondary infections. In other words, one infected person can spread it to 18 other people, according to the World Health Organization.
For more information about measles and Colorado’s cases this year, go to the current Colorado measles case information on the health department’s website.
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