Health department: Walsenburg elementary student should never have been tested for measles

WALSENBURG, Colo. (KRDO) -- Parents in Walsenburg remain in terror after the School District in Huerfano County sent out a robocall warning of a potential case of measles to parents of Peakview School students.

Then a letter sent home to parents claimed that there was a single confirmed case of the dangerous disease.

Just hours after parents were warned of the confirmed case of measles, the Las Animas-Huerfano Counties Health Department retracted the warning.

“I think it was just some miscommunication,” said Kimberly Gonzales, the executive director at the Las Animas-Huerfano Health Department on Thursday. “At this point, we do not recommend any children be excluded from school or school events or sporting events that we feel it is safe for all children to be back in the schools.”

Kimberly Gonzales with the health department reaffirms there is no confirmed case of measles at Peakview or throughout Huerfano County.

The executive director says the student in question is currently being tested for the dangerous disease. However, Gonzales says the student didn’t convey and signs of measles, and the student in question should never have even been tested for measles in the first place.

"It would be very unlikely for the test results to come back positive," said Gonzales. "There is a very low outcome of their being measles."

Gonzales says test results take two days to process, and they may not have the results for another day, possibly longer. It is unclear if the student in question received their vaccines or not.

“The whole town is panicking at this point, and everyone is pulling their kids out of school,” said Bianca Trujillo, a mother of a kindergarten student at Peakview School. "My son wasn't in school today, and I definitely won't be sending him next week until there is a definite confirmation that there is no measles going around."

Trujillo isn't the only parent keeping their kids from the elementary school on Thursday. According to the school district, more than a third of the school was absent. The school district believes fear of measles is the primary cause.

Huerfano School District RE-1 declined to speak with KRDO on camera until the measles test results are officially in.

Gonzales with the health department tells KRDO she plans on working with the school district to make sure the 'false warning' never happens again.