Utah TriCounty Child MMR Vaccinations Jump 500% as Measles Outbreak Spreads to 724 Cases
Updated
Updated · abcnews.com · Oct 14
Utah TriCounty Child MMR Vaccinations Jump 500% as Measles Outbreak Spreads to 724 Cases
1 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · Oct 14
Summary
March 2026 child MMR vaccinations in Utah's TriCounty rose 500% from March 2025, as parents rushed to catch children up so they could remain in school during the outbreak.
TriCounty has logged 80 measles cases this year, many traced to a February youth wrestling tournament that seeded infections in schools and households; unvaccinated students were told to stay home for several weeks.
Utah has recorded 724 cases since June 2025, with spread reaching under-vaccinated communities in nearly every county rather than staying concentrated in one region.
Local officials said demand rose after years of falling coverage: TriCounty kindergarten vaccine exemptions climbed from 4.8% to 11.9% in four years, and 16.1% lacked MMR documentation in 2025-26.
Nationally, the U.S. has confirmed more than 4,000 measles cases and six deaths, the highest toll in more than three decades, while some Pennsylvania health teams are now vaccinating groups in homes and workplaces.