Updated at 10:21 a.m. on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
Update: The state health department and El Paso County Public Health announced a third resident with a confirmed case of measles. That case brings the state total to 11 this year. The agencies say the case was a vaccinated adult who was at Denver International Airport on Wednesday, May 14.
It also brings the total number of cases associated with an out-of-state traveler who flew while infectious from Turkey on May 13 to seven — four passengers on the flight, three Colorado residents and one out-of-state resident, and now three El Paso County residents who were at the airport during the exposure period.
Original story below.
The number of confirmed measles cases in Colorado this year hit 10 on Sunday with the announcement of two El Paso County residents’ cases and an additional passenger on a May 13 flight from Turkey.
Four people on that Turkish Airlines flight have tested positive for measles, and the two from El Paso County were at the airport during the exposure period.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and El Paso County Public Health are identifying potential additional areas for measles exposure. The agencies have found that the following areas, during the dates and times listed, are sites of potential exposure.
Love’s Travel Stop/Carls Jr.
- Location: 748 22 Road, Grand Junction
- Date: Tuesday, May 27, from 6-10 p.m.
- Symptoms may develop through June 17
Maverick Gas Station
- Location: 2588 Airport Road, Colorado Springs
- Date: Wednesday, May 28, from 9-11:30 a.m.
- Symptoms may develop through June 18
King Soopers
- Location: 1750 W. Uintah St., Colorado Springs
- Date: Saturday, May 31, from 8:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
- Symptoms may develop through June 21
Health officials say the best and most effective protection is the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
The MMR vaccine, given within 3 days after exposure, can prevent infection.
Monitoring for symptoms is especially key for people who have not been vaccinated with the MMR vaccine. People exposed to measles typically develop symptoms seven to 21 days after exposure, according to the health department.
If you were at these locations during the exposure window and develop symptoms, immediately contact your health care provider by phone. If you do not have a provider, call an urgent care center or emergency department and explain that you may have been exposed to measles. Health officials say it’s important to call ahead, that helps prevent additional exposures.
Measles is preventable, but it is also a highly contagious, airborne respiratory infection. It may be best known for its rash, which usually starts several days later on the face and spreads, and fever. It can cause serious health problems, especially for children younger than 5.
Other symptoms include a cough, runny nose and red eyes.
It passes between people so readily, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that up to nine out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not protected.
