Utah measles outbreak speeds up but there are few changes to daily life

Utah’s measles outbreak is accelerating as it stretches into its eighth month, becoming so severe that some local health officials have turned to radio to get the message about vaccination to more people.

While South Carolina appears to have its outbreak — the largest in the United States in three decades — under control — measles in Utah is raging among unvaccinated children in several communities. There have been nearly 100 confirmed cases in Utah over the past three weeks and likely many more families have been affected, experts say. More people caught measles in the first months of this year than in all of last year.

Since measles began spreading in Utah last summer, state health officials have barely acknowledged it. Health officials in the state’s southwest, which still accounts for the bulk of cases, have not held vaccination clinics, they say, because most residents are not interested in getting vaccinated.

At the state’s first press briefing on March 5, state epidemiologist Dr. Leisha Nolen implored residents to get vaccinated. A nurse practitioner detailed several cases of severe measles she treated. A number of families who dealt with the virus “didn’t realize how serious” measles was, Nolen said.

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services has updated its website weekly but has remained largely silent. The agency has not published information about the outbreak on its Facebook and X platforms since the outbreak began. The agency declined an interview request.

In southwest Utah, an isolated, close-knit community that accounts for most of the cases, it has been difficult to reach residents. Most people in the area are linked to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), a religious group that is wary of outsiders. Vaccination rates are very low among school-aged children.

David Heaton, public information officer for the Southwest Utah Department of Public Health, said there is no major television station or newspaper in the five counties under his agency’s jurisdiction. Instead, he tapped social media and radio to provide updates on the outbreak.

“We do a lot of radio spots, probably two to three times a week,” he said. “Talk radio is big here.”

Heaton’s message on measles vaccination has evolved throughout the outbreak.

“We’re trying to find ways to refine the message,” he said. “If you don’t want to get all your shots, at least get this one. Or we started saying, think about the people in your life. Are there little children under the age of 5 who might have more challenges health-wise if they get measles?”

Few seem to be listening.

“There was no feeling of worry or life being different,” he said. “I’m surprised by some people I talk to informally who still haven’t heard the message, which makes me wonder are we covering all our bases? Is there something we’re not aware of?”

The reaction is different among residents of the northeastern part of the state. The TriCounty Health Department, which encompasses three counties, has recorded five cases of measles since mid-February. The agency saturated its social media with information and held two vaccination clinics.

Thirty-three people showed up to get vaccinated, said Sydnee Lyons, public information officer for TriCounty Health.

“Our community is going above and beyond by asking questions and making the right decisions for their families and trying to protect not only themselves but those in their community,” Lyons said. “Everyone works together.”

Measles is the most contagious virus known in the world. When it seeps into pockets of unvaccinated people, up to 9 in 10 people will become infected. Infected people can spread the virus four days before the characteristic rash appears.

As the virus continues to spread unchecked in southwest Utah, other areas of the state — including areas closer to Salt Lake City — are now seeing a surge in cases.

The MMR vaccination rate for kindergartners in hard-hit Washington County is 79.2%, according to an NBC News/Stanford University investigation. It’s 92.6% in Salt Lake County, which had measles exposures in hospital emergency departments, a restaurant, a gas station and an aquarium last week alone. Experts say a 95% vaccination rate is needed to reach the level of herd immunity needed to prevent outbreaks.

Controlling measles outbreaks relies on effective communication encouraging the public to either get vaccinated or stay away from others until the threat has passed.

In South Carolina, state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell has held dozens of public briefings, one a week since the outbreak was declared in early October. The briefings are publicly available on the agency’s website. The state deployed mobile vaccination clinics and invited public health experts to help with contact tracing and data management.

Because Utah’s public health system is decentralized, it is up to local and regional health departments to respond to outbreaks as they see fit.

The Southwest Utah Department of Public Health is not holding vaccination clinics.

“We have the capacity,” Heaton said, “but there has not been an increase in demand for vaccines.”