Utah Reports Second-Highest Measles Case Count in the US This Year

Utah is experiencing its second-highest measles outbreak in the United States in 2026 with 318 confirmed cases, trailing only South Carolina's 668 cases, as part of a nationwide surge reaching 1,748 infections. The outbreak began in June 2025 in southwest Utah and has grown to 559 cases over nine months, a level not seen in the state for more than 40 years. Utah's kindergarten vaccination rate of 88.6% falls below both the national average of 92.5% and the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity. The outbreak has resulted in serious health impacts, with approximately 10% of patients requiring hospitalization, one-third needing emergency care, and three patients treated in intensive care units with fevers reaching 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

Scale and Severity of Utah's Measles Outbreak

• ▪Utah has the second-highest count of measles cases in the United States in 2026, after South Carolina.
• ▪Utah confirmed 318 measles cases in 2026 as of the article's publication date.
• ▪South Carolina counted 668 measles infections in 2026 according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Declining Vaccination Rates and Public Health Response

• ▪Vaccination among Utah kindergartners during the 2024-2025 school year was 88.6% according to the CDC.
• ▪MMR vaccine administrations in Utah increased 31% compared to the same period the previous year since the outbreak began in June 2025.
• ▪The TriCounty Health Department board issued a message in 2024 expressing concern that childhood vaccinations have become controversial in recent years.
• ▪The vaccination rate benchmark that guarantees herd immunity is 95%.
• ▪The national average vaccination rate among kindergartners during the 2024-2025 school year was 92.5%.
• ▪About 90% of Utahns have received the MMR vaccine.

Recent Exposures and Geographic Spread

• ▪An infected person visited the Empowering Students in STEM conference at the University of Utah in late March 2026.
• ▪An infected person visited the University of Utah A. Ray Olpin Student Union in late March 2026.
• ▪The TriCounty Health Department reported 23 measles cases the week before confirming 56 infections.
• ▪Measles infections in Utah started to spread to other areas of the state sometime in February 2026.
• ▪The TriCounty Health Department confirmed 56 measles infections in Daggett, Duchesne and Uintah counties.

Perspective of Utah public health officials

• ▪Utah public health officials track that approximately 10% of measles patients during the 2025-2026 outbreak required hospitalization.

Perspective of University of Utah

• ▪An infected person visited the University of Utah A. Ray Olpin Student Union in late March 2026.

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