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Utah now has its first verified case of measles — and state health officials are urging Utahns to get up-to-date on their vaccinations.
The infected person is an adult from Utah County, the Department of Health and Human Services reported Friday. The person, who was not further identified, is unvaccinated and had no out-of-state exposures, indicating the infection was transmitted within Utah.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Public health officials warn of the first verified case of measles in Utah as Dr. Leisha Nolen, state epidemiologist, gives an update on a adult from Utah County diagnosed with the highly contagious disease on Friday, June 20, 2025.
At a press conference Friday, state epidemiologist Dr. Leisha Nolen said officials have not yet identified the source of the infection.
“We do think there are additional cases,” Nolen said. “At this time, we have not identified others.”
Nolen said the infected person is isolating at home with minimal contact. The Utah County Health Department has been working closely with the person and their family, she said, advising exposed relatives to monitor symptoms and stay home to prevent further spread.
Before their diagnosis, the Utah County resident visited several public places during their infectious period, health officials said. People who were at those sites during or two hours after that person may have been exposed to measles.
Two of those locations were:
• The Parkway Health Center, 145 W. 1300 South, Orem, sometime on June 13. Health officials are trying to confirm a specific time.
• Timpanogos Regional ER, 750 W. 800 North, Orem, June 14, between 2:14 and 7:02 p.m.
DHHS is urging people who were in those locations at those times to monitor themselves for symptoms.
Measles symptoms typically appear seven to 14 days after exposure. They include a high fever — above 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit — and a cough, runny nose, or red eyes. A rash will usually appear within four days of a fever.
“The rash is really what hints to us that this is measles,” Nolen said, noting that it typically begins at the hairline and spreads down the body. “It can take up to three weeks from being exposed to actually start to have the symptoms, but usually it’s about 10 days.”
If you develop symptoms, stay away from other people and call your health care provider, health officials say. Call before going to a clinic or hospital, so staff there can prevent other people from exposure.
As of Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a total of 1,214 confirmed measles cases in 34 states and the District of Columbia.
In early June, DHHS reported that an infected out-of-state person traveled through Utah’s Washington County, visiting family in the region.
According to DHHS, more than 90% of Utahns have been vaccinated against measles, and are well protected against infection.
Two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, or MMR, Nolen said, “make you 97% sure that you will not get the infection. … And even if you do get the infection after that vaccine, it’s going to be much more mild than if you don’t.”
There are exceptions, though: Infants younger than 1 year old, for example, are not eligible for the vaccine.
Public health officials urge Utahns to check their immunization and medical records, or talk to a health care provider to see whether they were protected against measles. That’s especially true for people who are planning to travel outside the state or the country.
“It’s important to recognize that this is a controllable outbreak,” Nolen said, stressing the critical role of vaccination in reducing the risk of infection. “Unfortunately, measles does cause really severe disease, so one in 20 kids will go into the hospital, and that’s really significant. We also know kids can die of this. We’ve already had three deaths in the United States. We don’t want any more.”
