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A fourth and fifth Utahn have been infected with measles, according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.
One of the newly infected individuals is a child, the announcement noted. Of the two new patients, one lives in Utah County and the other lives in the southwest area of the state.
None of the five people with confirmed infections so far has been vaccinated, according to the department.
Two of the patients so far have been pregnant.
“Women who become infected with measles during their pregnancy are at high risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, or giving birth to a child who will experience serious medical problems,” the department said Thursday. “A pregnant woman is also much more likely to be hospitalized because of severe measles.”
According to state epidemiologist Leisha Nolen, the department expected the two new infections because it knew the individuals were exposed.
She said it’s “quite concerning” that two of the individuals infected have needed hospitalization.
“We expect we will see additional cases,” she said, based on the department’s knowledge of who has been exposed, and added the department believes there are unidentified infections.
Though she said 90% of Utahns are vaccinated and protected, even those who have received a vaccine can become infected, though she said the case is typically more mild.
Those who remain unvaccinated should consider the risks and speak to their doctors, she added.
In southern Utah, she said there are areas where disproportionately high amounts of people are unvaccinated compared with the rest of the state.
On Thursday, the department recommended that people planning to become pregnant get vaccinated in order to protect themselves and their baby.
The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is 97% effective against measles if a person receives two doses, the state agency said.
As of Thursday, two of the people diagnosed with measles were hospitalized because of complications. Both have since been released.
Measles symptoms
Measles symptoms typically appear one to two weeks after someone is exposed to the virus, according to DHHS.
They can include a fever over 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit, a cough, a runny nose and red eyes. After four feverish days, people generally develop a rash.
Nolen said the rash typically starts at the hairline before spreading across their face and to their bodies.
State health officials urge people who have been exposed and people who develop symptoms to stay away from others and call health care providers before visiting a clinic or hospital. The precautions can help the virus from spreading.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Dr. Leisha Nolen, state epidemiologist, gives an update the fifth verified case of measles in Utah on Thursday, June 26, 2025.
Nolen said the state department has been working with health care providers for months in preparation for Utah infections. It has guided them to post measles symptoms and provide alternative entrances to make people who have been exposed to measles do not expose others in waiting rooms.
Because small infants are not yet able to get vaccinated, Nolen said they are the most susceptible to the virus.
“We want to protect them,” she said, and the best way to do that is for people who can receive the vaccine to do so.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 1,227 confirmed measles cases in 37 states as of Tuesday.
The first confirmed measles case that originated in Utah was announced June 20. The second and third known cases were announced Tuesday.
