Utah’s Measles Outbreak Spreads
What began as a localized measles outbreak in a rural part of Utah has now started to extend throughout the state.
According to the latest update from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, there have been 583 confirmed cases since the previous summer. So far, only Texas and South Carolina have reported higher numbers.
Despite the lively atmosphere on campus, the University of Utah is currently facing its own measles exposure issue. A person with a confirmed measles case was on campus for four days at the end of March. The university has advised students to stay home for 21 days if they’re feeling unwell or haven’t been vaccinated, given the highly contagious nature of the disease.
For freshman Hailey Perkins, who got vaccinated as a child, the outbreak doesn’t seem to be a big concern. “I don’t really know what to change,” she reflected. “I still have to go to class. So, it is what it is.”
The outbreak initially sparked in last summer in the Southwest corner of Utah, particularly in small communities near the Arizona border where vaccination rates are low, often linked to a fundamentalist religious sect. Almost half of the state’s measles cases have originated from that area.
And now, it’s spreading rapidly.
“It’s affecting individuals from various regions across the state, coming from diverse backgrounds and communities,” stated state epidemiologist Dr. Leisha Nolen. “It’s no longer confined to a specific group.”
Back in February, there were reported exposures at a high school wrestling tournament at Utah Valley University and at Highland High School in Salt Lake City. That same month, Salt Lake County declared that the disease was “actively spreading” within the county.
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services reports that 83% of confirmed cases involve unvaccinated individuals, with children being diagnosed nearly twice as much as adults.
Even experienced healthcare professionals are taken aback by the severity of some cases.
“A lot of clinicians are surprised by how ill these patients are, especially the kids and teens,” noted Nolen. “Providers often mention teenagers showing up looking incredibly unwell, unable to move comfortably, with very high fevers and struggling to keep food or drink down.”
Measles poses a greater risk for children under five and individuals with weakened immune systems. Serious complications can lead to fever, pneumonia, or brain swelling, and in rare instances, death. Three fatalities have been recorded nationwide in 2025.
The disease was considered eliminated in the U.S. by 2000, yet a significant increase in cases has been noted since 2025.
Public health experts point to the messages and policies from U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as contributing to growing skepticism about vaccines, despite his endorsement of the MMR vaccine on April 6.
For public health officials like Nolen, the past year and a half has felt like a journey into the unknown.
“As a pediatrician training in the late 90s and early 2000s, I didn’t encounter measles,” she recalled. “It was something more common internationally; you certainly didn’t expect to see it here in the U.S.”
In the conservative, religious areas where the outbreak began, public trust in health authorities took a major hit during the COVID years, according to David Heaton, Public Information Officer for the Southwest Utah Public Health Department.
Six years later, he still finds himself working to share accurate vaccine information, but he sees a bit of optimism. “People seem to have a little more faith in local health authorities these days,” he noted. “We’re trying to use that trust to educate the public. Personal responsibility is crucial.”
Heaton emphasized that one effective way to promote health could be through direct conversations with local healthcare providers. “We respect anyone’s concerns but hope they would consult their doctor while being aware that not all online information is credible, especially the alarmist approaches that claim to endanger children,” he said.
Even with ongoing outreach and vaccination efforts, epidemiologist Nolen isn’t expecting the outbreak to resolve anytime soon. Nevertheless, she’s hopeful that with spring arriving and people spending more time outdoors, conditions might improve. “With the outbreak now spread across the entire state, it’s tough to know how we can contain it in the near future,” she remarked.
