DENVER ( KDVR ) — An unvaccinated infant under a year old living in Denver County has been infected with measles, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported Monday.
CDPHE, Denver Health and the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment all confirmed the case. The agencies noted that infants normally get their routine dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine at 12 to 15 months.
Measles case confirmed in Colorado resident who recently traveled internationally
The agencies reported that the infant had recently traveled with family to an area of Chihuahua, Mexico, where there is an ongoing measles outbreak. The agencies said that current evidence does not show the case is linked to Colorado’s other known measles case, which was reported in an adult resident of Pueblo who also had traveled to Mexico.
“Infants under 12 months are especially vulnerable to measles because they are typically too young to be vaccinated. This case is a stark reminder that families traveling internationally should delay unnecessary travel or talk to their health care providers about early MMR vaccination for infants, especially when visiting areas with known measles outbreaks,” 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 infant’s infection…