WEEK OF JULY 11, 2024
VOLUME 36 | ISSUE 28
STARS & STRIPES TO CELEBRATE
County fireworks kick off summer celebrations
$2
State urges families to schedule vaccines as measles cases rise
• Page 9
• Vestas to lay off 200 employees
BUSINESS
BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Colorado has nation’s worst outbreak of bird flu among dairy cattle • Page 3
•27J Schools moves online-only Dec. 1
Nearly one-quarter of the state’s herds are affected
LOCAL
BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN
3 5 8 11
LOCAL OBITUARIES LEGALS CLASSIFIED
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Colorado’s outbreak of bird flu among dairy cattle is now the worst in the country, with more cases in the past month than any other state, according to the latest state and federal data. As of early July, Colorado had identified 26 herds with cases of avian influenza. Of those, 22 were identified within the past month
and the herds are still in quarantine. Four other cases were identified earlier and quarantines have since been lifted. All affected herds are in the northeastern part of the state. The rapid and still largely mysterious spread in Colorado — hardly a leading dairy state — contributes to growing concerns that U.S. health authorities are not doing enough to contain the virus. While the threat currently to humans is generally very low, infectious disease experts worry that the longer the virus spreads unchecked through animals, the greater the chances become that it will mutate to become
more dangerous to people. Dr. Maggie Baldwin, the state veterinarian, said Colorado agriculture and health officials are working closely with dairies to identify cases of the virus and to try to prevent its spread. “This is just a virus that likes to hang around,” she said. “It’s really hard to mitigate once it’s in a sustained population. … I think if we all implement really strong biosecurity we absolutely can prevent the spread, but it’s in a really close geographic region.”
OBITUARIES: PAGE 4 | CLASSIFIEDS: PAGE 8 | LEGAL: PAGE 10
Colorado public health officials are encouraging families to ensure their children are current on their vaccines this summer, especially those required by school and childcare facilities, including measles, whooping cough, mumps, polio and varicella (chickenpox). “Keeping our kids healthy at school starts with getting them vaccinated,” Dr. Ned Calonge, chief medical officer at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said in a statement. “Summer break is a great time to schedule check-ups and make sure your child’s immunizations are up to date. This simple step helps keep them healthy and allows them to focus on learning and having fun in school. “With recent measles outbreaks in the United States and around the world, it’s more important than ever to ensure all students are caught up on childhood vaccines,” Calonge continued. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. has already seen more than twice as many measles cases in the first half of 2024 than in all of 2023. Measles appears as a rash and can cause life-long hearing loss and brain damage. Up to 20% of those infected will need to be treated in a hospital, and severe cases can lead to respiratory failure and death. The CDC recommends the MMR vaccine as the best way to prevent becoming infected. Data published by the CDPHE shows that for the 2023-2024 school year, nearly 93% of the state’s pre-K through grade 12 students were fully vaccinated against measles. Yet, because measles spreads so quickly, Immunization Branch chief at CDPHE Heather Roth said 95% of the population needs to be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
SEE OUTBREAK, P7
SEE VACCINES, P4
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