The Summit County Department of Health has contacted about 20 South Summit Elementary School students and staff who may have been exposed to measles Jan. 5.
An unvaccinated South Summit Elementary student was at school that day and tested positive for the virus Jan. 10, Summit County’s first case amid a national outbreak.
Summit County Health Director Phil Bondurant said the student who tested positive was exposed to the virus over the holidays by a relative who had measles.
The student did not have symptoms Jan. 5, but Bondurant said their family still pulled them out of school after the health department contacted them.
“I cannot thank the South Summit School District enough. The school nurses there, the superintendent, even the families that are really dealing with this difficult side of a measles response. This isn’t easy,” Bondurant said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Jan. 12. “There's frustration, absolutely, and that's understandable, but there's also an understanding of what needs to happen in order to protect the South Summit School District, elementary school and make sure that this doesn't get to be bigger than it should be.”
The health department is asking the roughly 20 students and staff who may have been exposed to quarantine for three weeks. They can return to school Monday, Jan. 26.
“It's not something that public health looks forward to, but it is something that we stand by, as it's a proven process to make sure we're protecting not only school, not only children and staff, but the community as well,” Bondurant said of the quarantine procedure.
The county health director said even one case of measles is a big deal because of how contagious the airborne virus is. Unvaccinated people have a 9 in 10 chance of catching the disease if exposed.
Health officials say one dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is 93% effective at preventing the measles. Two MMR doses is 97% effective.
“If your child is vaccinated, or you as a staff member or family member, are vaccinated and exposed, we encourage you just to kind of keep an eye on those symptoms, but to continue with your day and with life as you normally would,” Bondurant said. “It's really our unvaccinated population that we want to protect and look after.”
Symptoms of measles usually begin seven to 14 days after exposure and can include a cough, high fever and red, itchy rash. Complications of the virus can be life-threatening.
Health experts say people who think they may have measles should call ahead before going to a doctor’s office or emergency room to avoid exposing others.
Utah now has at least 176 confirmed measles cases in 2026 and 2025, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
The virus was declared “eliminated” in the U.S. in 2000 but is on the rise after reemerging in 2018 and 2019.
