Low Vaccination Fuels Measles Outbreak

Health officials in Utah and Arizona are issuing urgent warnings as one of the largest measles outbreaks in the U.S. continues to grow, primarily concentrated in areas with low vaccination rates.

The highly contagious measles virus has now been confirmed in Central Utah for the first time, with two cases announced by the Central Utah Health Department. These two new diagnoses push the state’s total number of confirmed measles cases to 84. Sixteen Utahns have been diagnosed with measles in the last three weeks alone. Officials noted that 82 of the 84 statewide cases involved unvaccinated individuals. The two new cases in central Utah were both in people who were unvaccinated and had recent contact with someone they believed had measles.

The majority of Utah’s infections have been centered in the southwest region, which accounts for 65 confirmed cases. The outbreak is concentrated in bordering areas of southwestern Utah and Arizona. Across the border, Mohave County, Arizona, has confirmed 42 cases, marking the highest number seen there since the 1990s.

Experts and health officials attribute this surge directly to plummeting vaccination rates. In Washington County, Utah, only about 79% of kindergartners are vaccinated against measles, which is significantly below the 95% threshold required for herd immunity. In Mohave County, Arizona, some kindergarten vaccination rates are staggeringly low, with one school reporting an MMR rate of 7.7%. A former Arizona public health official stated that this escalation is "exactly what you expect to see" when a highly infectious, vaccine-preventable disease enters a community with low vaccination rates.

Health officials strongly urge residents to understand how fast measles can spread and how serious the illness can be. The best preventative measure remains vaccination; two doses of the MMR vaccine prevent more than 97% of infections and are widely available. Symptoms typically begin one to two weeks after exposure and include fever, cough, runny nose, and red or watery eyes, followed by a distinctive rash. Anyone who suspects they have measles must stay home and call their health care provider before seeking care to limit community spread.

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🔖 Sources

First measles cases found in central Utah; state's total infections surpass 80

Measles outbreak growing in parts of Arizona and Utah, health officials say

Two new measles cases found in Central Utah increasing statewide count to 84

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Keywords: Measles Outbreak

Measles Outbreak

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