Measles has come to Montezuma County.
A school-aged child who was not vaccinated against the disease reportedly came down with symptoms after traveling to a place outside Colorado where an outbreak is going on.
The state Department of Public Health and Environment says people in Cortez and Mancos may have been exposed between Nov. 5 and 11.
A post Wednesday morning on the Southwest Open School Facebook page said that they had been notified of measles in one student.
“We were notified of a possible single case of Measles in a student, and some staff and students may have been exposed,” the post says. “To protect privacy, no names or additional details will be shared; letters with guidance have been sent directly to our families and staff on Alma, and we’re working closely with Montezuma County Public Health officials. We place student and staff safety as our highest priority, with the recommendation of the public health office SWOS will be closed for the rest of this week (11/12 and 11/13) while we complete recommended cleaning and monitoring. We’ll share our next update about school operations by this Friday, 11/14.”
In a release Thursday, School District Re-1 officials said that if a case is confirmed within the school community, the district will follow a protocol issued by the public health department that may include a required isolation period for infected students or staff
“To ensure transparency and preparedness, we want you to know what steps will be taken if a case is confirmed within our school community,” the Re-1 press release said. “Should this occur, the public health department will immediately notify us and provide a response protocol. We will follow their guidance and promptly communicate our plan to parents and guardians. This may include a required isolation period for individuals, including staff, who are diagnosed with measles, as well as for those who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or unable to verify their immunization status.”
It’s as yet unknown what public places the infected child may have gone to. “The Health Department is still investigating and doing contact tracing, and we don’t have a list of locations where others may have been exposed,” said Vicki Schaffer, Montezuma County’s public information officer, in an email to KSJD.
She said that information will be shared when it becomes available.
Symptoms of measles, which include fever, cough, a runny nose, red eyes, and a rash, can develop one to three weeks after exposure. Measles, which is spread by droplets transmitted by coughing or sneezing, is one of the most easily transmitted diseases in the world. The droplets can stay active for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.
Most people will recover in a few weeks, but the disease can produce serious complications, including pneumonia, seizures, brain damage, and death.
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, but has since made a comeback both here and in Canada.
The MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella; it can also include varicella/chickenpox vaccine and is then called MMRV) is highly effective in preventing measles and can be given to children in two doses starting when they are a year old. Vaccines generally give lifetime protection, but people vaccinated back in the 1960s may want to get a booster shot because the earliest vaccines weren't quite as effective, according to information online.
People who have had measles are generally immune from getting it again.
According to Denver 7 News, Colorado has seen at least 32 cases this year, the most since 1995.
New Mexico had an outbreak totaling 100 reported cases, including one death, this year.
Arizona saw 128 cases, and Utah 74.
“Tens of thousands of New Mexico residents got their MMR vaccinations over the course of the 2025 outbreak, at times nearly doubling the number of doses given during the same time period in 2024,” says the New Mexico Health Department website. “This effort will provide community protection against measles in the years to come.”
Schaffer told KSJD that vaccines are readily available locally at Southwest Memorial Hospital, pharmacies, clinics, and the county health department. People should make appointments for vaccinations.
