Utah measles outbreak enters second year, threatens US disease‑free status

Utah has recorded more than 680 measles cases since the first outbreak began on June 20, 2025, spreading to 22 of the state's 29 counties. The disease has appeared in health‑care settings, big‑box stores, restaurants and youth sporting events, including a high‑school wrestling championship that generated at least 46 cases.

Vaccination gaps have fueled the spread: statewide, 12.8% of children lack two doses of the vaccine, while the “Tri‑County” region in the rural northeast has over 16% of kindergarteners unvaccinated. Health officials have responded by excluding unvaccinated students from in‑person classes, urging isolation for the sick and promoting vaccination. Infectious‑disease specialist Cyndie Mattinson noted a shift in community perception after outreach, saying, “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.”

State epidemiologist Leisha Nolen warned that the outbreak could affect the United States’ measles‑free designation, stating, “It’s still here, it’s still transmitting. We just need those few cases to hit the wrong community and it could flare up really big again.”