Utah reports over 680 measles cases as outbreak spreads across most counties
More than 680 people have been infected with measles in Utah since June 2025, with cases reported in 22 of the state's 29 counties and vaccination gaps cited as a contributing factor.
Utah health officials say the state has recorded more than 680 measles infections since the first case was identified on June 20, 2025. The disease has been confirmed in 22 of Utah's 29 counties, affecting both urban and rural communities.
The outbreak has reached a variety of settings, including health-care facilities, retail stores, restaurants and youth sporting events. A February exposure at a high-school wrestling championship resulted in at least 46 additional cases.
State epidemiologist Leisha Nolen warned that the approaching school year and colder weather could increase transmission. > "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."
Vaccination coverage remains below the 95% threshold needed to prevent sustained spread. In the state's rural northeast, more than 16% of kindergarteners lacked measles immunization during the last school year, compared with a statewide rate of 12.8% without vaccination.
Local health departments responded by excluding unvaccinated students from in-person classes, advising sick individuals to isolate, and encouraging vaccination through community outreach. Infectious disease specialist Cyndie Mattinson noted that outreach helped change perceptions that health officials were punitive rather than supportive.
Nationally, the United States faces a review of its measles-free status, with international experts scheduled to meet in November. The review will consider whether continuous community transmission has persisted for more than a year.
Pediatrician Ellie Brownstein, president-elect of the state chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, opposed legislation that would have eased school vaccine waiver requirements, describing the outbreak as a challenge to public-health policy.