Measles โCases Rise Nationally, โคSparking Vaccination โขConcerns in Utah – โDeseret News
As ofโฃ September 30, the Centers for โคDisease Control and Prevention (CDC) reportsโ 1,544 lab-confirmed cases ofโ measles nationally. in 2024, 285โ measles cases wereโ recorded across the United States. This year, 2025, has already seen 21โ cases among international visitors, with the remaining 1,523 cases identified in 42 jurisdictions โincluding Alabama, Alaska, arizona,โ Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New โขYorkโฃ State, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode island, โSouth Carolina, South Dakota,โ Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington,โข Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Nationwide, the CDC reports that 4%โ of measlesโข cases occurred inโ individuals who had received one โคdose of the measles,โ mumps,โข rubella (MMR) vaccine, and another 4% in โthose โwho had received both recommended doses. The vast majority โ- 92%โข – were either โunvaccinated or โฃhad unkown vaccination status.Nearly 40% of cases have been diagnosed in the school-age population (5-19 years), while 27% were in children under 5.โค Twelve percent of those infected required hospitalization due to โsymptom severity, and tragically, three deaths have beenโ attributed to measles this year.
Federal officials are emphasizing the importance of โvaccination. Acting CDC director โJim O’Neill, who also serves as deputy secretary of the Department of Healthโ and Human services, stated that vaccines “not only protect individual children fromโ measles,โค but also contribute to community immunity.”
In Utah, data from the Utah Department โof Health and Human Servicesโ for the 2024-25 school year reveals concerning trends in vaccination rates. approximately 10% of โฃin-person kindergarten studentsโข either โฃhave an exemption for the MMR vaccine or lack documentation confirming โขvaccination. 9.0% of in-person kindergarten students have an exemption to any โ school-required vaccine.This figure rises toโ 10.1% when including students in online schools.
An โanalysis by NBC News and Stanford University highlighted low vaccination ratesโ in Washington County, Utah,โ near the arizona border, whereโ approximately 79% of kindergartnersโค are vaccinated againstโ measles. This is only slightly higher than the rate in gaines County, Texas, the epicenter of an earlier 2025 outbreak. Experts emphasize that aโค 95% vaccination rateโค is necesary to achieve herdโข immunity.
David heaton,โข the public details โofficer for the Southwest Utah Public โHealth Department, told NBC News, โ”I’ve worked for โฃthis health department for about 18 years, and we’ve never seen โa caseโ of measles that Iโ know of up until this point.” He added, “We โฃare just at thatโฃ low rate of (vaccine) โคuptake โthat dose leaveโ us open for this kindโข ofโ an outbreak.”
Health officials in Arizona and Utah โคare currently collaborating to address the ongoing outbreak.