NEPHI \u2014 Juab School District on Saturday confirmed a student at Juab Jr. High School was diagnosed with measles, adding to Utah’s total count of the highly contagious disease.<\/p>\n
Kodey Hughes, the district’s superintendent, said the district was first notified of the potential case three days into last week’s spring break.<\/p>\n
The timing of the case being confirmed over spring break, he said, actually worked in the district’s favor \u2014 allowing the district to work with the Central Utah Health Department to determine what classes the infected student was in and if any unvaccinated students were exposed.<\/p>\n
“We may have even had to … cancel some classes or have been sending students home. So, that was nice not to have to do that in the moment,” Hughes said.<\/p>\n
With Monday marking the district’s first day back after the break, Hughes said it’s mostly business as usual so far at all of the district schools.<\/p>\n
“The only hiccup we had today was just students that were traced or found to have been in contact that are not vaccinated, giving a little pushback, saying, ‘Well, I want to come to school.’ And we’re like, ‘Well, the health department is recommending you don’t,'” Hughes said, adding that the district can’t prevent students from coming to school if they push to attend.<\/p>\n
Utah’s growing outbreak<\/p>\n
Over the last three weeks, Utah has seen 121 new measles cases reported to public health officials, making the state’s outbreak the most active in the U.S, according to CDC data.<\/a><\/p>\n As of Monday, Utah has had 583 confirmed measles cases reported to Utah health officials since the outbreak began last year. So far, 2026 has been worse for the spread of the once-erradicated disease,<\/a> with 386 cases this year already, compared to 197 in 2025, according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services’ website.<\/a><\/p>\n According to the department, measles symptoms typically appear seven to 14 days after exposure.<\/p>\n Early symptoms include having a high fever (101 degrees Fahrenheit or higher) along with a cough, runny nose, or red eyes. The telltale measles rash usually appears around the third or fourth day of fever.<\/p>\n “If you do develop symptoms, you should stay away from other people and call your health care provider. Call first before you go to a clinic or hospital to prevent other people from exposure,” said the department’s website.<\/p>\n According to the CDC, three people died from measles last year. But the good news is that the measles vaccine is highly effective.<\/p>\n “The vaccine is 93% effective with one dose. And if you get the recommended two doses, it provides 97% protection,” Salt Lake County Health Department spokesman Nicholas Rupp told KSL in early April.<\/p>\n He said even though the vaccine is recommended for young children, it’s not too late for adults to get vaccinated or get the second dose.<\/p>\n “The MMR vaccine has been around since 1963,” Rupp said. “We have decades and decades of research, millions of people who have received it without any negative side effects.”<\/p>\n