In the last three weeks there have been 121 confirmed measles cases reported in Utah, making the state the epicenter of the measles outbreak, according to the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP). Utah has seen a total to 602 confirmed cases in this outbreak, which started in 2025. Last year there were 197 cases in the state, and in 2026 Utah already has 405 confirmed cases, according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. This is Utah’s worst outbreak of measles in more than 40 years. Some 85% of those infected had never been vaccinated. At least 49 cases required hospitalization. Utah has a measles vaccination rate of 90%, but 95% is considered necessary for herd immunity.
In the middle of this epidemic, State Representative Trevor Lee (R) introduced legislation to allow families to more easily opt-out of measles vaccinations, but the state legislature wisely voted it down. Measles had been eliminated in the United States. This outbreak started in Texas and now virtually every state has had at least one case which experts believe can be traced to the Texas outbreak.
