As measles cases continue to crop up in Colorado, Ouray County Public Health Director Kristin Kelley is encouraging residents to vaccinate against the highly contagious disease, especially at the Ridgway School District’s preschool, where the vaccination rate is below 80%.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced earlier this month a third confirmed measles case in the state, this time in an adult in Archuleta County. This person hadn’t left the country — the other two cases in Colorado were contracted by an infant and an adult who had traveled to Mexico, according to state health officials. As of April 11, there were 712 confirmed cases in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During a regular update to county commissioners last week, Kelley spent most of her time discussing the virus, saying her team has been busy administering vaccines and answering questions in recent weeks.

‘Highly, highly contagious’

Kelley warned county officials how easily the virus can be contracted and how an infection can turn dangerous.

“It is highly, highly contagious, I can’t underscore that enough,” Kelley told commissioners during a regular meeting April 8.

The virus is airborne and can be transmitted through breathing respiratory droplets and contact with infected surfaces or individuals. The virus can stay in the air or on a contaminated surface for up to two hours after an infected person has left the area.

It causes a distinct, red, blotchy rash and cold-like symptoms, and even severe complications or death in otherwise healthy people, Kelley said.

The virus has an eight- to 21day incubation period, and an infected person is contagious four days before a rash appears and four days after it has faded, Kelley said.

Vaccine rate low for Ridgway preschoolers

Kelley debunked a number of falsehoods surrounding the vaccine available to protect against measles and expressed concern about a low vaccination rate among Ridgway preschool students.

A 95% vaccination rate is ideal for creating herd immunity to slow down and prevent an outbreak, Kelley said.

According to most recently compiled data for the 20232024 school year, only 78.1% of Ridgway preschool students are vaccinated. The broader Ridgway School District has a higher vaccination rate of 90.3%. The Ouray School District has a slightly lower rate — 87.7% — making it one of 27 of the state’s 197 school districts with a vaccination rate below 90%, according to data from Chalkbeat Colorado.

School districts and parents who have opted out of vaccinating their children are technically compliant with vaccination mandates under Colorado law, which requires the vaccine but allows for medical, personal and religious exemptions, Kelley said. A parent can get a personal exemption by completing a training authorized by a medical professional.

But Kelley warned an outbreak would keep unvaccinated students out of school for a long time. A child may be asked to stay home from school for 21 to 28 days after the final case — specifically a measles rash — is confirmed in their school or child care.

The vaccine protects against measles, mumps and rubella, other similar viral diseases. Two doses are needed to protect K-12 school-aged children and adults in certain settings such as health care workers, college students or international travelers. One dose is needed to protect a preschool aged child, 12 months to 4 years old, and average adults not in those specific settings. Anyone born before 1957 anywhere in the world or anyone previously infected with measles is also protected because they have been exposed to the virus, Kelley said.

The health department has also focused its efforts on education and answering questions about measles, as well as correcting falsehoods.

“There is a lot of hesitancy, misinformation and just fear running around,” Kelley said about the disease and its vaccine.

Kelley said the vaccine does not cause autism, contrary to misinformation. She said taking vitamin A is not a viable alternative for preventing measles, though it may be a useful supplement to treat the virus once a patient is infected.

Kelley said there’s no specific antiviral medication available to treat infections, but those who know they have been in contact with the disease can get a post-exposure vaccination within three days of exposure or an immune globulin dose — a blood product with antibodies used to fight a disease — within six days of exposure.

If an infection happens within Ouray County, Kelley’s department will be responsible for investigating the outbreak, with support from the state. That includes contact tracing to attempt to locate others who were exposed to the virus.

Kelley said her department continues to disseminate information, administer vaccines and work with school district nurses and the preschool child health care consultant to increase vaccination rates.

Besides preparing for an outbreak, sharing information and making vaccines available, “I’m not sure what else we can do,” Kelley said.

Residents can visit the Ouray County Public Health Department at 177 Sherman St. #103 in Ridgway or call 970-325-4670 for more information.

Lia Salvatierra is a journalist with Report for America, a service program that helps boost underserved areas with more reporting resources.