Utah health officials are recommending people take precautions against measles, as outbreaks of the disease are reported in other states.
As of Thursday, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s tracking website, 164 cases of measles have been reported in nine states. Most of those cases, 146, were reported in Texas, where one unvaccinated school-age child died Tuesday. The Texas outbreak is the largest the state has seen in nearly 30 years.
There are no current measles cases in Utah as of Friday afternoon, a Utah Health Department and Human Services spokesperson said.
“We are concerned because of the multiple cases across the country,” DHHS state epidemiologist Dr. Leisha Nolen said in a statement. “These indicate an increased risk to Utahns as they travel and as others come to visit us.”
How to protect yourself from measles
The MMR vaccine is the best protection against measles, DHHS shared in a news release Friday. With two doses of the 97% effective vaccine, it is “very rare” for someone to contract measles, a release from the Salt Lake County Health Department said.
According to the CDC, people who have not been vaccinated have a 90% chance of catching the measles virus if they are near an infected person.
“The current MMR vaccine has been used since the early 1970s and has saved millions of lives — and prevented significant suffering — around the globe,” Nolen said in DHHS’s release. “The MMR vaccine is safe and effective, and Utahns are encouraged to protect their families by getting the recommended vaccine.”
Vaccine recommendations vary by age and immunization history. For children ages 12 to 15 months, health officials recommend a first dose of the MMR vaccine. The second is recommended for ages 4 to 6.
Adults born before 1968 are generally considered immune, health officials said.
Health officials advised people to check if they are in need of a dose by talking to a health care provider or checking vaccine records.
Measle shots are available at local pharmacies, clinics and doctor’s offices.
What to do if you have symptoms
If you think you have measles or have been near someone with the disease, health officials urge an immediate call to a health care provider. Health officials also can help make arrangements to reduce putting others at risk, the health department said.
A person can have measles for up to 14 days before symptoms show. Those symptoms may include fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes, rash, diarrhea or ear infection.
Two to three days after symptoms begin, tiny white spots will typically appear inside a person’s mouth, the Salt Lake County Health Department noted. In three to five days, a flat, red rash may appear, often starting at one’s hairline or face before spreading down the body.
The virus, in extreme cases, can cause pneumonia, brain infection, seizures and death, the CDC said.
Young children, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems are especially at risk, health officials said. Among the cases in Texas, 116 involved affected children, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
While Texas has the most cases, measles have been seen in 2025 in Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Rhode Island, the CDC reported.
