Utah has spent the past year fighting measles outbreaks — a grim milestone that could affect whether the United States can keep its measles-free designation. More than 680 people have gotten sick since the state’s first outbreak began on June 20, 2025.

Measles Outbreaks in Utah

Unlike measles outbreaks in Texas, South Carolina, and Arizona, the spread in Utah has been tough to contain to one region — infecting undervaccinated communities in nearly every county. Measles popped up in healthcare settings, big-box stores, and restaurants, and youth sporting events.

The measles vaccine is safe and 97% protective after two doses. However, Utah sees the impacts of dropping vaccination rates, with the worst spread in the southwestern part of the state, where 265 people have fallen ill with the vaccine-preventable disease since last summer.

Response to the Outbreak

Health officials focused efforts on mitigating the inevitable spread. Unvaccinated students were excluded from in-person school, and people who were sick were told to isolate themselves. Their appeal to care for one’s neighbors led to more people coming in to get vaccinated, officials said.

Utah’s lengthy battle with measles will likely affect whether the U.S. can keep its measles-free designation. Public health officials consider measles to be eliminated from a country when it shows it stopped continuous spread within local communities for at least a year.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.