Colorado Measles Cases Surge to Near Record Highs

Colorado is experiencing a significant measles outbreak centered in Broomfield, where 10 confirmed cases as of March 19 have been linked to students at Broomfield High School and Broomfield Heights Middle School. The outbreak represents part of a broader national surge, with 1,362 confirmed U.S. cases in 2026 following 2,280 cases in 2025—the highest since the early 1990s—and Colorado alone reporting 36 cases in 2025 compared to typically two or fewer per year. Health officials have ordered unvaccinated students and staff to quarantine for 21 days, as 94% of 2026 measles cases nationally have occurred in unvaccinated individuals. The highly contagious virus spreads more easily than COVID-19 and can remain airborne for two hours, with infected individuals contagious up to four days before symptoms appear, creating significant public health challenges in schools and community spaces.

Broomfield measles outbreak spread and exposure locations

• ▪As of March 19, Colorado health officials confirmed measles infections in 10 people in the Broomfield area, including students who attended Broomfield High School and Broomfield Heights Middle School
• ▪An unvaccinated young person with measles traveled to St. Mary's Catholic Church in Littleton and Woodside Baptist Church in Denver in February 2026

Public health response and vaccination recommendations

• ▪A measles outbreak in South Carolina has spread to nearly 1,000 people so far in 2026
• ▪Health officials are requiring any unvaccinated students and staff members from Broomfield High School and Broomfield Heights Middle School to stay home for 21 days
• ▪U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health experts identified 1,362 confirmed cases of measles so far in 2026
• ▪Health officials confirmed at least 2,280 measles cases in the U.S. in 2025, the highest number since the early 1990s
• ▪Among people who have gotten sick with measles in 2026, 94% have been unvaccinated