Utah Now Epicenter of U.S. Measles Outbreak with 583 Confirmed Cases

Key Points

• Utah has 583 confirmed measles cases with 24 new cases in the past five days
• South Carolina's outbreak of 997 cases has had no new cases since March 17
• National kindergarten MMR vaccination rate dropped to 92.5% from 95.2% in 2019-20

Full Details

Utah health officials have confirmed 583 measles cases since the outbreak began last year, with 24 new cases reported in just the past five days, making it the current epicenter of measles activity in the United States. While South Carolina's outbreak has seen 997 total cases since October 2024, it hasn't reported any new cases since March 17, allowing Utah to take over as the most active outbreak site. The University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy confirmed Utah's status as the national epicenter on Wednesday. Specific hotspots include Utah County with 93 cases and the Central Utah Public Health Department area covering six counties with 50 cases. This surge comes as national MMR vaccination rates among kindergarteners have dropped to 92.5% for the 2024-25 school year, down from 95.2% in 2019-20.