Utah Faces Ongoing Measles Struggle One Year Later
WHO:
ABC News - Utah state epidemiologist Leisha Nolen expressed concerns about the ongoing measles outbreak.
AP News - Dr. Ellie Brownstein, president-elect of the state chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, is involved in public health discussions regarding measles.
WHAT:
AP News - The TriCounty Health Department logged 74 cases of measles this spring, after people who got sick at the youth wrestling tournament spread the virus in school and later within their households.
AP News - Statewide, 12.8% of kindergarteners were missing their measles vaccine, putting the state far short of the 95% vaccination rate needed to prevent measles outbreaks.
ABC News - Utah has been battling measles outbreaks for a year, with over 680 reported cases since the first outbreak began.
AP News - The measles outbreak has affected 22 of Utah's 29 counties, with 265 cases reported in the southwestern part of the state.
AP News - A state high school wrestling championship in February led to at least 46 cases of measles among attendees.
AP News - The national measles case count was 2,104 as of June 18, nearly surpassing the previous year's record total.
WHERE:
ABC News - The measles outbreaks have occurred in almost every county in Utah.
AP News - The "tricounty" health region in rural northeast Utah, including Daggett, Duchesne, and Uintah counties, has seen a significant decline in vaccination rates.
WHEN:
AP News - The first outbreak in Utah began on June 20, 2025.
AP News - International health experts will meet in November to determine the measles elimination status of the U.S. and Mexico.
WHY:
AP News - The frontier region had seen a rise in vaccine hesitancy for some time, according to Sydnee Lyons, the health department's public information officer.
AP News - The spread of measles in Utah has been difficult to contain due to undervaccinated communities.
AP News - A decline in childhood vaccination rates has contributed to the ongoing outbreaks, with over 16% of kindergarteners in the tricounty region missing their measles vaccines.
HOW:
AP News - Health officials focused efforts on mitigating the inevitable spread, appealing to care for one’s neighbors, which led to more people coming in to get vaccinated.
AP News - Health officials have excluded unvaccinated students from in-person school and advised sick individuals to isolate themselves to mitigate the spread of measles.
AP News - Efforts to change perceptions about vaccination have led to increased vaccination rates in the community, as health officials emphasized their role as a resource rather than a policing entity.
(UPDATED June 20, 2026 23:21 UTC)
The TriCounty Health Department has reported 74 cases of measles this spring, primarily linked to a youth wrestling tournament where the virus spread through schools and households. Alarmingly, 12.8% of kindergarteners statewide are missing their measles vaccine, significantly lower than the 95% vaccination rate needed to prevent outbreaks, a situation exacerbated by rising vaccine hesitancy in the frontier region. In response, health officials have been actively encouraging vaccinations, emphasizing community responsibility, which has successfully prompted more individuals to get vaccinated.
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(UPDATED June 20, 2026 17:24 UTC)
Utah is currently facing a significant measles outbreak, with over 680 reported cases affecting nearly every county in the state. Health officials, including state epidemiologist Leisha Nolen and Dr. Ellie Brownstein from the American Academy of Pediatrics, are actively engaged in public health discussions to address the situation, particularly in areas like the tricounty region where vaccination rates have dropped. To combat the spread, unvaccinated students have been excluded from in-person school, and health officials are working to improve community perceptions about vaccinations, aiming to increase immunization rates moving forward.