Utah battles year-long measles outbreak as vaccination gaps persist
More than 680 Utah residents have contracted measles since June 2025, with cases reported in 22 of the state's 29 counties, prompting concerns about the U.S. losing its measles-free status.
Utah has reported over 680 measles cases since the first outbreak began on June 20, 2025, spreading to 22 of the state's 29 counties. The disease, which is highly contagious, has appeared in schools, health-care facilities, retail stores and youth sporting events, including a high-school wrestling championship that generated at least 46 cases.
State epidemiologist Leisha Nolen warned that the approaching school year and colder weather could trigger another surge. > "It’s still here, it’s still transmitting," she said. "We just need those few cases to hit the wrong community and it could flare up really big again."
The southwestern region has recorded the highest number of infections, with 265 cases, while the rural northeast “tricounty” area has seen a sharp decline in childhood vaccination rates—more than 16% of kindergarteners lacked measles immunization, compared with a statewide gap of 12.8%, well below the 95% threshold needed to prevent sustained transmission.
Local health officials responded by excluding unvaccinated students from in-person classes and urging sick individuals to isolate. Their outreach aimed to reassure residents rather than police them. Infectious disease specialist Cyndie Mattinson described a conversation with a hesitant parent that helped change perceptions. > "The perceptions were changed that we weren’t out there to police, we were there to be a help and a resource to the community," she said.
Pediatrician Ellie Brownstein, president-elect of the state chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, opposed legislation that would have eased school vaccine waivers. The bill failed, but she noted ongoing challenges in shifting public attitudes. > "I don’t know that we get it to end," Brownstein said. "I don’t know that we’re going to get this genie back in the box because there’s enough people out there to spread it."
National health experts will convene in November to assess whether the United States and Mexico can retain their measles-elimination status, a designation that requires at least one year without continuous local transmission.