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Public health director urges vaccination as Colorado measles cases rise; county expands wastewater and disposal programs
Summary
Ouray County Public Health Director Kristen Kelly warned of growing measles activity in Colorado and urged residents to check immunization records; the department is providing MMR vaccines, expanding wastewater monitoring and launching vape and sharps disposal programs.
Ouray County public health officials told county commissioners May 6 that measles activity in Colorado requires renewed vaccinations and preparedness, and that the county is expanding monitoring and disposal programs.
Public health director Kristen Kelly said Colorado had five confirmed measles cases at the time and that national case counts were approaching 1,000 across nearly 29 states. Kelly described measles as highly contagious, contagious before a rash appears, and noted the severe potential complications including pneumonia, encephalitis and immune system impacts.
Why it matters: measles can spread before symptoms are obvious, and two doses of a measles-containing vaccine are roughly 97 percent effective. Kelly urged residents to check immunization records; Colorado’s immunization registry (CIIS) provides a public portal for individuals to obtain their records.
Local actions and programs: public health is administering MMR vaccines and working with regional partners, EMS and school nurses on testing and response plans. The department is expanding wastewater surveillance to monitor infectious-disease trends and is pursuing a work session with the commissioners to seek funding for continuing and expanding wastewater testing.
New disposal programs: public health has started a vape-disposal pilot and will host vape drop boxes. The department also expects to begin sharps-disposal collection in partnership with Western Colorado Health Network; public health will provide secure collection bins at its Ridgeway office and at other sites to be identified, and WCHN will remove and dispose of full containers.
Other updates: the department reported ongoing outreach on sexual-health services and possible quarterly mobile clinics for STI/HIV testing, and discussed partnerships to expand family-planning services for younger residents.
Message to residents: public health urges people to locate vaccination records, contact providers if exposed or symptomatic, and to call ahead before visiting health-care facilities so providers can prepare infection-control measures. Kelly also encouraged residents to call county public health with questions and to use the CIIS portal to retrieve records.
Commissioners asked staff to promote the CIIS portal on the county website and social media and to coordinate messaging with the county PIO.
