Utah reports nearly 700 measles cases since outbreak began, threatens elimination status

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — In the year since measles began spreading across the United States, Utah has reported nearly 700 cases.

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services has reported 482 new cases so far in 2026 – the second highest in the nation, behind only South Carolina. In 2025, the Beehive State reported 197 cases, bringing the total to 679 since the outbreak began.

As cases continue to grow, the United States is expected to lose its measles elimination status within the next year or two, according to a report by KFF Health News.

The report cites difficulties in the outbreak spreading beyond containment due to steadily dropping vaccination rates in Utah. According to KFF Health News, less than 80% of kindergartners were adequately immunized in the 2024-25 school year in southwest Utah – which has served as the epicenter of Utah’s measles outbreak.

Only 87% of kindergartners were adequately immunized statewide, which KFF Health News reports is “far below the 95% threshold required for herd immunity.”

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