DENVER — A vaccinated adult in Denver who sought care at a Lakewood urgent care clinic last week has tested positive for measles, becoming the fifth person to become infected in the state so far this year.
In a joint news release Friday, officials from the Colorado, Denver and Jefferson County public health departments said the individual recently traveled to the state of Chihuahua, in northern Mexico, which is currently experiencing a measles outbreak.
The patient “has verified vaccination records" for the MMR vaccine and was not vaccinated before 1968, when a previous version of the MMR vaccine was found to be less effective against measles, according to a spokesperson with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
Anyone who may have been at the Kaiser Lakewood Medical Offices Urgent Care clinic, located at 8383 W. Alameda Ave. on Saturday, April 19, between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., could have been exposed, state health officials said.
People who believe they may have been exposed should monitor for symptoms for 21 days and avoid public gatherings or high-risk settings, health officials said. Additionally, people who visited the Lakewood urgent care clinic and develop symptoms should immediately call their health care provider before trying to seek treatment to avoid other people from becoming potentially infected with the virus, they said.
Symptoms to watch out for include anything from a fever, a cough, a runny nose, and red, watery eyes that develop into a rash that starts on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body about three to five days after symptoms first start. A person with measles is contagious four days before and four days after the rash appears.
- Scripps News Denver has been closely following confirmed cases of measles in Colorado amid a multi-state outbreak of the virus in the U.S. this year. Explore the timeline map below to see more on where cases have so far popped up.
“The measles vaccine provides strong protection, and cases like this are very rare,” said Dr. Ned Calonge, Chief Medical Officer at the CDPHE. “Staying up to date on vaccinations and being aware of health risks when traveling are important ways to protect yourself and your community. We’re sharing this information out of an abundance of caution to support early detection and limit the risk of further spread.”
A single dose of the MMR vaccine confers 93% protection against measles, while a second one ups that number to 97%, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In rare cases, about 3 out of every 100 people vaccinated against the virus can get a breakthrough case, but vaccinated individuals will usually develop milder symptoms and are less likely to spread it to others, state health officials said.
“Measles only spreads from people who show symptoms; it does not spread from people who aren’t feeling sick,” a spokesperson from the CDPHE said in a news release.
Despite this latest case being found in a vaccinated adult, state epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy told Denver7 in an email that vaccine recommendations remain unchanged, but added that anyone who knows they were exposed should monitor for symptoms, "regardless of their immunity status, and especially if they are unvaccinated."
People who have received the full series of the MMR shot don’t need another one after exposure to the virus, though people who received a measles vaccine before 1968 should talk to their health care provider about possibly getting a booster as the vaccine used before that year wasn't as effective. Unvaccinated people exposed to the virus can get the MMR vaccine 72 hours after exposure (but before symptoms are present) to prevent an infection.
Besides Denver's three confirmed cases (the other two being an infant too young to be vaccinated and an adult relative in that same household) other cases in Colorado have been reported in Pueblo and Pagosa Springs amid this year's multi-state outbreak in the U.S.
As of Friday, the CDC had confirmed a total of 884 cases — the second worst year since the disease was eliminated 25 years ago. Two children and one adult have died so far. All were unvaccinated.
___
Pueblo community honors 13-year-old Joeylin McDonald with lantern ceremony
Family and friends gathered at the Riverwalk in Pueblo to celebrate the life of 13-year-old Joeylin McDonald, who passed away last week in a tragic accident at a youth program.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
