Latest news with #RachelHerlihy
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Potential measles exposure at DIA, nearby hotel: Health officials
DENVER (KDVR) — Officials are warning the public of a possible measles exposure at Denver International Airport and a nearby hotel. The traveler landed at the international terminal of DIA on Tuesday, May 13, then went to the Quality Inn and Suites Denver International Airport for the night, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver Department of Public Health and Environment and Denver International Airport. Person with measles stayed at Pueblo hotel On May 14, the traveler returned to DIA and boarded a domestic flight. Anyone who was exposed on either of the flights will be notified directly by their state or local public health agency, officials said Thursday. 'This situation underscores the critical importance of vaccination. Staying up to date on vaccinations and being aware of health risks when traveling are important ways to protect yourself and your community,' said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist and deputy chief medical officer at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, in the announcement of the case and possible exposures. 'Measles is highly contagious, and we are working swiftly to identify and notify anyone who may have been exposed. Vaccination remains the most effective protection against this preventable disease.' Here's where and when members of the public could have been exposed to this case of measles: Location Date/time Notes Denver International Airport8500 Peña CO 80249 Tuesday, May 135 – 8 p.m. Arrived at Gate A-27 in concourse A at 5:10 across the bridge to international customs. International baggage claim terminal Quality Inn and Suites shuttle to hotel Tuesday, May 136 – 8 p.m. Rode shuttle at 6 p.m. Quality Inn and Suites Denver International Airport6890 Tower CO, 80249 Tuesday, May 13, 6:15 p.m. – Wednesday, May 14, 7 a.m. Hotel lobby and elevator: Tuesday, May 13, 6:15 – 8:15 lobby and elevator: Wednesday, May 14, 5 – 7 a.m. Quality Inn and Suites shuttle to DEN Wednesday, May 145 – 7:30 a.m. Rode shuttle at 5 a.m. Denver International Airport8500 Peña CO 80249 Wednesday, May 145:30 – 10 a.m. Main terminal, train to gates, and concourse B. Flight departed from Gate B-86. Anyone who was at the locations is asked to immediately contact their health care provider by phone, or call an urgent care or emergency department, where you should explain you've likely been exposed. Calling ahead prevents additional exposures. Measles is a highly contagious disease. Colorado health officials said that measles can spread through the air via coughs and sneezes, and can remain in the air up to two hours after the person has left. The officials said that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines provide strong protection and is the best protection. Two doses of the MMR vaccination are about 97% effective in preventing measles, according to CDPHE. Measles is very contagious. Here's how to avoid it 'Monitoring for symptoms is especially critical for people who have not been vaccinated with the MMR vaccine because they are at significantly higher risk,' the agencies stated. 'People who are susceptible to measles and were exposed at this location may develop symptoms through Wednesday, June 4. We will update the locations, as necessary.' CDPHE said measles symptoms typically take seven to 21 days to develop and include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a characteristic rash that usually starts several days later on the face and spreads. In February, a Texas child, who was unvaccinated, died of measles, which health officials said was the first death from the illness in about a decade. CDPHE told FOX31 in February that the last confirmed case of measles in the state was reported in December 2023, and that most of the time, measles cases occur in Colorado after travel or in under-vaccinated communities. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
23-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Traveler with measles was at Denver International Airport last week, Colorado health officials issue warning
An out-of-state flyer in Colorado who was contagious with measles traveled through Denver International Airport last week. That's according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. That traveler also stayed that the Quality Inn and Suites close to the airport. The hotel is located off Tower Road. That traveler was at the airport, on a shuttle and at the hotel on May 13th and 14. See a detailed breakdown of exactly where that person went and what time: Tuesday, May 13 Denver International Airport, 5 - 8 p.m. Arrived at Gate A-27 in concourse A at 5:10 p.m. Walked across the bridge to international customs. International baggage claim 3. Main terminal Quality Inn and Suites shuttle to hotel, 6 - 8 p.m. Rode shuttle at 6 p.m. Quality Inn and Suites Denver International Airport lobby and elevator: 6:15 - 8:15 p.m. 6890 Tower Rd. Denver, CO, 80249 Wednesday, May 14 Hotel lobby and elevator: Wednesday, May 14, 5 - 7 a.m. Quality Inn and Suites shuttle to the airport, 5 a.m. Denver International Airport, 5:30 - 10 a.m. Main terminal, train to gates, and concourse B. Flight departed from Gate B-86. "Measles is highly contagious, and we are working swiftly to identify and notify anyone who may have been exposed. Vaccination remains the most effective protection against this preventable disease," said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist and deputy chief medical officer. There have been several cases of measles reported in Colorado this year.
CBS News
23-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Second measles case in Denver confirmed; fourth in Colorado amid nationwide outbreak
Measles has arrived in Colorado. Find out how to protect yourself Measles has arrived in Colorado. Find out how to protect yourself Measles has arrived in Colorado. Find out how to protect yourself The second case of measles has been confirmed in Denver, according to city and county health officials, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Colorado to four. Health officials didn't provide many details about the latest case in Denver, other than to say the person is an adult and they contracted the virus from the first person in the city who got it; a baby who was too young to have been vaccinated who had recently travelled to an area of Chihuahua, Mexico, which is experiencing a measles outbreak. The person has been in public health quarantine during the infectious period, according to the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment. The latest case comes as the U.S. experiences the highest number of measles cases nationwide since a 2019 wave. Health officials say symptoms typically develop between 7 and 21 days after exposure. Between 7 and 14 days, those symptoms can include fever around or over 104°, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Within 2 to 3 days after those symptoms appear, small white spots may appear in one's mouth and days later, a full rash can appear. Most people's symptoms will improve, but about 1 in 5 unvaccinated people who get measles will be hospitalized. Approximately 1 in every 1,000 children with measles will develop brain swelling that can lead to brain damage, and around 3 in 1,000 children who become infected will die, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. "Measles is one of the most contagious diseases we know, but it is also highly preventable," Dr. Rachel Herlihy, deputy chief medical officer and state epidemiologist, said in a statement. "The MMR vaccine provides excellent protection and helps prevent outbreaks like the one we are seeing globally. We urge Coloradans to review their vaccination status and take steps to protect themselves, their families, and their communities." The majority of infections nationwide have been reported in West Texas, and two children have died, local health officials said. Texas has seen over 500 cases and the entire country has seen about 800 recorded cases this year so far. And Kansas, to Colorado's east, has reported over 37 cases so far this year. The majority of people reporting cases are 19 or younger. CDC data shows the following age breakdown of cases: Under 5 years: 157 (33%) 5-19 years: 204 (42%) 20+ years: 111 (23%) Age unknown: 11 (2%) The overwhelming majority of cases, the CDC says, are also among those who aren't vaccinated for measles or whose vaccination status isn't known: Unvaccinated or Unknown: 97% One MMR dose: 1% Two MMR doses: 2% The number of measles cases in the U.S. has fallen dramatically since the advent of the vaccine in 1963. Prior to that, the country typically saw hundreds of thousands of cases each year. Health experts point to lower vaccination rates as a reason for increases in preventable diseases like measles. More information on measles can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Colorado officials warn of ‘community transmission' risk after third confirmed measles case
Blood sample positive with Measles virus (iStock / Getty Images Plus) Colorado health officials warned Tuesday that measles may be spreading undetected in Colorado following the confirmation of the state's third case this year in an Archuleta County resident. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's warning comes after two previous measles cases in Pueblo and Denver. Unlike in those two cases, the Archuleta County resident, an adult whose vaccination status has not been confirmed, did not recently travel internationally. 'This case does not appear to be linked to the other cases reported in Colorado and the individual did not travel outside of Colorado, which leaves open the possibility of community transmission,' Dr. Rachel Herlihy, Colorado's deputy chief medical officer and state epidemiologist, said in a statement. 'We urge Coloradans to monitor for symptoms if they may have been exposed, and to make sure they are up to date on their (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccinations.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Measles is a highly contagious and often severe disease that causes symptoms including fever, cough and a characteristic rash. Cases in the U.S. plummeted following the introduction of a vaccine in the 1960s, and the recommended two doses of the MMR vaccine provide about 97% protection against infection. Colorado has not had three measles cases confirmed in the same calendar year in at least 12 years, according to state data. The infections come amid an alarming rise in measles outbreaks nationwide, including several clusters in west Texas and neighboring states that have caused at least two deaths of unvaccinated children. Falling rates of vaccination, fueled by anti-vaccine conspiracy theories like those spread by newly confirmed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have preceded many of those outbreaks. Colorado had the nation's sixth-lowest rate of MMR vaccine coverage for kindergarteners in the 2023-24 school year, with an estimated only 88.3% of kindergarten students vaccinated, according to federal data. While state law requires K-12 students to receive the MMR vaccine and five others, it allows for broad exemptions on medical or religious grounds. CDPHE officials say people may have been exposed to measles at the Wolf Creek Ski Area and Resort between March 28 and 30; the Pagosa Springs City Market on March 31; and the Pagosa Medical Group clinic at 27B Talisman Dr. on March 31 and April 2. People who were exposed should monitor for symptoms for at least three weeks after exposure and avoid public gatherings, especially if they are unvaccinated. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
3rd measles case confirmed in Colorado; here's where you could have been exposed
DENVER (KDVR) — A third case of measles was confirmed in Pagosa Springs, which is part of Archuleta County, the day after the second case was confirmed. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said that an adult Archuleta County resident has been confirmed to have contracted measles. The individual's vaccination history is currently unknown, and health officials said that as of Tuesday, they do not believe the case is linked to the case announced Monday in Denver, or the case announced last month in Pueblo. Baby infected with measles in Denver, marking second case in Colorado Both prior cases were connected to trips to areas of Mexico where ongoing measles outbreaks have been reported. CDPHE did not provide any information about where the Archuleta County resident may have contracted measles. CDPHE said the person sought medical care at a clinic in their community on March 31 and was contagious between March 26 and April 3. Based on that information, CDPHE is providing the following locations and times where Coloradans may have been exposed to measles. Those locations and times are: Wolf Creek Ski Area and ResortUS-160 EPagosa Springs, CO 81147 Friday, March 28, all March 29, all March 30, all day. Pagosa Medical Group27B Talisman Dr., Unit 3Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 Monday, March 31, 9:05 a.m. – 12:15 April 2, 3:45 – 6 p.m. City Market165 Country Center Springs, CO 81147 Monday, March 31, 10 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. CDPHE said measles symptoms typically take seven to 21 days to develop and include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a characteristic rash that usually starts several days later on the face and spreads. 'This case does not appear to be linked to the other cases reported in Colorado and the individual did not travel outside of Colorado, which leaves open the possibility of community transmission,' said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist and deputy chief medical officer at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, in a release. 'We urge Coloradans to monitor for symptoms if they may have been exposed, and to make sure they are up to date on their MMR vaccinations.' The case announced Monday involved an infant under a year old. CDPHE noted that the MMR vaccine is typically provided at 12 to 15 months old, but an early dose can be obtained if there is travel planned near an outbreak area. CDPHE said that anyone who was at the Denver Health emergency department on Bannock Street in Pavilion A on Sunday, April 6 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., should monitor for symptoms for the next 21 days. Measles case confirmed in Colorado resident who recently traveled internationally About 93.7% of Colorado children have the MMR vaccination, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella. That's below the goal threshold of 95% for community immunity. CDPHE told FOX31 in February that the last confirmed case of measles in the state was reported in December 2023, and that most of the time, measles cases occur in Colorado after travel or in under-vaccinated communities. There are measles cases in 22 states, according to information published by the Centers for Disease Control on April 3. Two doses of the MMR vaccination are about 97% effective in preventing measles, CDPHE said. The agency also urged families traveling internationally with children too young to be vaccinated to reconsider travel to areas with ongoing measles outbreaks. Coloradans can check their own or their child's immunization records through the state's Immunization Information System public portal. If your provider has not reported vaccines, some records may be incomplete. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
