Experts say low vaccination rates are fueling the spread<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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THURSDAY, Oct. 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) \u2014 A growing measles outbreak along the Utah-Arizona border has spread to nearby communities, making it the nation\u2019s second-largest this year, health officials confirmed.<\/p>\n
At least 123 people have been infected, most linked to two small towns \u2014 Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah \u2014 where residents often move between the two communities. <\/p>\n
Within recent weeks, cases have also appeared in nearby Utah cities of Hurricane and St. George, after exposures in hospitals and urgent care clinics, according to the Southwest Utah Public Health Department.<\/p>\n
Many of the clusters started in schools, department spokesperson David Heaton<\/a> told NBC News<\/em>. “But now we have community spread,” he added.<\/p>\n The outbreak has also reached Iron County, Utah, just north of the original epicenter.<\/p>\n Health officials have long warned that this region is vulnerable to measles because of low childhood vaccination rates. <\/p>\n According to NBC News <\/em>data:<\/p>\n In Iron County, 82.4% of children are vaccinated against measles.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n In Washington County, that rate drops to 79.2%, and in Mohave County, Arizona, it\u2019s 78.4%, far below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n \u201cWe were preparing for it,\u201d Heaton said. \u201cIt was a matter of time before it came here.\u201d<\/p>\n Most cases so far have occurred among unvaccinated school-aged children, officials said. Utah has reported six measles-related hospitalizations, five of which are tied to the current outbreak zone.<\/p>\n The area includes popular tourist destinations like Zion National Park, raising concerns about possible exposure to visitors.<\/p>\n The outbreak mirrors a broader national decline in childhood vaccination. According to NBC News<\/em> data, 77% of U.S. counties and jurisdictions have seen drops in vaccination rates.<\/p>\n During the 2024\u20132025 school year, 4.1% of kindergartners (about 138,000 children) had exemptions from required vaccines, surpassing last year\u2019s record of 3.7%. Nearly all exemptions were for nonmedical reasons, such as religious or personal beliefs.<\/p>\n Despite the ongoing federal government shutdown, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> (CDC) has continued to track measles cases. As of Oct. 21, the CDC reported 1,618 infections across 42 states.<\/p>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on measles<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n