In The NoCo

As measles cases increase across the country, can Colorado doctors prevent an outbreak here?

By In The NoCo,

Published April 21, 2025 at 5:35 AM MDT

Ways To Subscribe

Courtesy of Dr. David Higgins / University of Colorado

"The most important thing to remember is that measles is entirely preventable with vaccines," says Dr. David Higgins, a pediatrician with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. "For years, even decades, measles has been so well controlled in the U.S., thanks to vaccines, that most pediatricians of my generation have never had to treat it."

Colorado health officials are watching with concern as measles cases increase around the country.

Outbreaks of the highly contagious disease are on the rise in two dozen states. Most of the country’s 800 cases so far are in Texas.

But the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has confirmed three cases in our state so far – and officials there are warning about the potential for measles to spread quickly.

So how do we prevent what’s happening in Texas from happening in Colorado?

Dr. David Higgins is a pediatrician and preventive medicine specialist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. He told Erin O’Toole that healthcare workers in the state should push to get more people vaccinated against measles right now.

Curious about the MMR vaccination rate in your school district? Find a map here.

Tags

In The NoCo

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.

See stories by In The NoCo

Erin O'Toole

As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.

See stories by Erin O'Toole

Brad Turner

Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.

See stories by Brad Turner

Ariel Lavery

Ariel Lavery grew up in Louisville, Colorado and has returned to the Front Range after spending over 25 years moving around the country. She co-created the podcast Middle of Everywhere for WKMS, Murray State University’s NPR member station, and won Public Media Journalism awards in every season she produced for Middle of Everywhere. Her most recent series project is "The Burn Scar", published with The Modern West podcast. In it, she chronicles two years of her family’s financial and emotional struggle following the loss of her childhood home in the Marshall Fire.

See stories by Ariel Lavery