Measles exposure reported at Arvada sports bar as Broomfield outbreak total reaches 9

Meg Wingerter, The Denver Post on Mar 12, 2026

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DENVER — People who visited an Arvada sports bar on Tuesday night should watch for measles symptoms and get the vaccine immediately if they haven’t already received it, Colorado public health officials said Thursday.

Someone who lives in the same household as one of the people sickened in the Broomfield schools outbreak — which has grown to nine cases — visited Bout Time Pub & Grub, 5225 W. 80th Ave. in Arvada, at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Because the virus can linger in the air up to two hours after a sick person leaves, it could have infected people until about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Symptoms could develop through April 1.

The measles vaccine can reduce the odds that a previously unvaccinated person will get sick if they receive it within 72 hours of exposure, meaning that people exposed Tuesday have until Friday evening to get the shot, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

The Broomfield outbreak now includes nine cases and may soon grow to 10, with the state health department on Thursday announcing two new confirmed infections and one probable case in people who share living space with people who got sick.

Two were in quarantine because they are unvaccinated. The vaccinated person appears to have developed a breakthrough infection, though the state is still confirming their diagnosis.

Two doses of the vaccine are about 97% effective in preventing measles. People who experience a breakthrough infection can still infect others, though the odds are lower because they don't shed as much virus.

Measles causes a fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, with the rash appearing about four days after most people become contagious. Anyone who has those symptoms following a measles exposure should call ahead before seeking medical care, so the clinic or hospital can take precautions to protect others, the state health department said.

The department announced the first case tied to Broomfield High School on Feb. 27 and declared an outbreak on March 5 following two additional cases. All of the cases have ties to either Broomfield High School or Broomfield Heights Middle School, or live in the same household as one of the previous cases.

About 80 people, most of them students, had to stay out of school for three weeks following their exposures because they aren't vaccinated and don't have proof of immunity. The two schools have about 2,275 students combined.

The outbreak has resulted in exposures at 21 locations, including health care facilities, restaurants, a community center and Denver International Airport.

Last year, the state reported 36 measles cases, mostly in people who traveled to countries or states with ongoing outbreaks. It was a marked departure from the previous decade, when Colorado had no more than two cases per year.

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