Utah health officials track measles outbreak as confirmed cases spread to neighboring states

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) -- With a confirmed measles case in Colorado, Utah health officials are closely tracking neighboring states as the disease creeps closer to home.The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment publicly confirmed a case of measles on Wednesday, April 2. The patient is an unvaccinated adult who recently traveled outside the country.

Utah now is neighboring two states with confirmed measles cases, as New Mexico has 48 people infected, one of which died early last month, according to the Associated Press. As for the western states, California and Washington have also been affected. The largest outbreak is in Texas with more than 400 people infected.



Utah has not had a reported measles case since 2023, local health officials say.Amelia Salmanson with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services told ABC4 they are "closely monitoring bordering states" as measles creeps closer to Utah, but that "the risk is still generally very low, especially for people who are vaccinated against measles."Nintendo announces Switch 2 release date, new features in latest Direct showcase"While we are seeing a lot of cases in the United States right now, it is seemingly remaining somewhat isolated to communities and populations, and so I definitely don't want there to be fear of people going to the grocery store right now, especially in Utah," Salmanson said.

Salmanson -- who works as the DHHS Vaccine Preventable Disease Manager -- said the best way to protect yourself and your children against the disease is through the vaccine. She emphasized that the vaccine "is highly safe and effective."She said the department is encouraging people to check their vaccine status and ask their doctor if they have any questions.

The department set up a website where Utahns can request immunization records if they are unsure if they've been vaccinated or need a booster. The site also displays a list of symptoms and confirmed measles cases, if any, within the state.Salmanson said there is no specific treatment for measles and touched on the discussion surrounding the use of Vitamin A, a treatment Robert F.

Kennedy Jr. previously suggested for measles. Salmanson said that while it can be used as a "supportive" treatment for measles, she cautioned patients and parents against using it without first checking with their providers.

"I have heard reports that kids in particular that are being given vitamin A supplements to sort of prevent measles are showing up to ERs with toxicity from vitamin A, so that's where the concern is," she said.Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads through coughing or sneezing. Measles can contaminate nine out of 10 unprotected people who come into proximity with an infected person, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

When more than 95% of a population is vaccinated against the disease, the community achieves what is known as "herd immunity." While the United States officially eliminated measles from the nation in 2000, the CDC says outbreaks can still happen when measles spreads in unvaccinated pockets of a community.As of the 2023-2024 school year, the CDC reported approximately 88% of Utah's population has received the measles vaccination.

.