Colorado parents consider early measles vaccination following new cases in Broomfield

After two unvaccinated students at a Colorado high school were reported to have measles, the Boulder Valley School District says out of 1,669 students at Broomfield High School, 26 are on their exclusion list and not allowed to attend class.

The Boulder Valley School District, alongside its health partners, including the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, is telling unvaccinated students to stay home during the quarantine period due to possible exposure. Quarantine periods for measles can last a few weeks.

Broomfield mom Jennifer Ditton doesn't have a child in high school, but does have other kids in the district. She shared her concerns about her children's friends, as well as the siblings of those families in the high school, being exposed. She was particularly concerned for her preschooler, who's still too young to get fully vaccinated against the measles.

"I feel like measles is a disease that should not be here anymore. Vaccines are so effective, I'm surprised that we're still dealing with it now," Ditton said.

Ditton said she is now planning to ask her pediatrician to give the second shot a bit earlier than originally planned, adding, "I definitely feel better knowing that two out of three of my kids are totally vaccinated. My youngest has not had her second vaccination yet, and so that's a little scary. We're going to bump up her timeline and hopefully get her vaccinated earlier than I would have."

Multiple pediatricians' offices in the area told CBS News Colorado that they're seeing more requests for early shots recently and discussing those options with patient families.

At UC Health, Dr. Michelle Barron, senior medical director of infection prevention, is having similar conversations.

"We have definitely had individuals coming in with rashes that measles comes up as, 'could this be measles?' And this is where we do our consultation," Barron added, "It was just a matter of time that we started to see more cases in Colorado."

And while Colorado isn't a hot spot right now, with three cases so far this year, Barron says the vaccine is the best way to stay protected from the highly contagious disease.

"[The vaccine has] been around for 50, 60 years, it's very safe. The data associated with autism has been debunked, and I think the potential risk of getting measles is actually worse than the vaccine," Barron said.

Last school year, state data shows Broomfield High School as being 98.5% complaint with required vaccinations. CBS Colorado asked both CDPHE and BVSD if any teachers or staff were on the exclusion list as well, but neither shared an answer to that directly.

Meanwhile, families like Ditton's are working to share their concerns and make the best decision for their family with their doctor.

"Knowing that the school district is taking it seriously makes me feel better, for sure," Ditton said. "I really just hope that other parents start to take it more seriously if they're able to."