Measles, once considered eliminated in the US, has made a resurgence this year. The largest current outbreak is concentrated in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
Measles is highly contagious, especially for individuals not yet vaccinated. Any unvaccinated person should avoid exposure. The good news is that receiving two doses of measles vaccine is about 97% effective at preventing measles. Children should get a dose of MMR vaccine at age 12-15 months and again at ages 4-6. Infants traveling internationally should get an early dose of MMR between ages 6 and 11 months.
If you plan to travel to states with current measles outbreaks, make sure you and your family members are up to date with your measles vaccine at least 2 weeks prior to travel to prevent illness.
Learn more about measles infection and prevention. For the latest case counts and outbreak information, visit the CDC’s measles webpages.
Douglas County Health Department Hours
We look forward to seeing you in person in the Castle Rock office at 410 S. Wilcox Street Monday – Friday, except on county holidays.
Vital Records: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
WIC Services: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Our Lone Tree office is located at 9350 Heritage Hills Cir. Vital Records are not available in Lone Tree.
On March 14, 2024, the Douglas County Health Department, under the direction of the Douglas County Board of Health, extended a Dec. 14, 2023 Public Health Order setting forth requirements for sheltering migrant persons in Douglas County.
Colorado’s Core Public Health Services Requirements In 2008, the Colorado Public Health Act required the State Board of Health 1) to establish, by rule, core public health services that each county and district public health agency must provide or ensure; and 2) to establish minimum quality standards for those public health services. Effective Jan. 1, 2020, state and local health departments in Colorado are required to ensure the provision of seven Foundational Capabilities and five Foundational Services
In addition to the baseline, required services, a county may also consider additional services based on the unique public health needs of its community.
As such, in 2021, a public process, led by Douglas County and a team of public health experts, identified the unique public health needs of our communities through the implementation of a Community Health Assessment and a Public Health Improvement Plan, both requirements of state law for all public health agencies.
The public process revealed what our communities believe are the top three public health issues:
Behavioral Health – includes mental health and substance use
Injury Prevention
Disease Management and Prevention — addressing behaviors that lead to chronic diseases
Governed by a Board of Health, your Health Department is providing services in sync with the unique needs of Douglas County.
Your new 21st Century Douglas County Health Department aims to do our part to sustain healthy Douglas County communities while encouraging you to take a proactive role in managing your own health. We are dedicated to keeping you informed to help you make informed decisions toward healthier lives, through collaborative partnerships and actions to affect upstream determinants of health.
Subscribe to be among the first to receive public health updates from your health department.
Funding the Health Department The Board of Health and the Board of Douglas County Commissioners committed that the General Fund cost to operate the new health department would not exceed the County’s most recent share as part of Tri-County Health, or $2.5 million – the per capita cost for Douglas County served by Tri-County Health in 2022. The 2023 Health Department Budget is $7.4 million, funding by $4.5 million in state and federal grant programs, $900,000 from services fees, and $2 million in taxpayer dollars from the General Fund, approximately $700,000 less than previously contributed to Tri-County annually. View the Health Department Budget Facts.
History of Public Health Services Delivery in Douglas County On Jan. 1, 1966, following the South Platte River Floods of 1965, Douglas County joined the Tri-County District Health Department, providing Douglas County residents and businesses with requisite public health services. On Sept. 14, 2021, Douglas County separated from Tri-County Health Department to form its own local public health department with an Intergovernmental Agreement for Tri-County Health Department to continue providing some public health services through the end of 2022. Douglas County is now independent from Tri-County Health Department, with its own local health department.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Additional information on a variety of health topics is available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Get the latest guidance on currently circulating illnesses, learn about chronic disease prevention, get recommendations for staying healthy while traveling, and much more.
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