ST. GEORGE, Utah — Nearly 20% of Utah's measles cases in the past year have occurred in recent weeks as a multi-state outbreak continues to spread across the southwest, with major state hospitals now serving as exposure sites for the highly contagious disease.
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services has identified St. George Regional Medical Center as one of the main exposure sites for the current measles outbreak that has affected Utah, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
"We have definitely seen a number of people get sick in the last few weeks. There's no question about that. It seems like we're in a little bit of a hump right now," said Dr. Leisha Nolen, Utah State Epidemiologist.
According to the New York Times, CDC experts have directly linked the current multi-state outbreak to more than 100 cases reported since August in the Hildale-Colorado City area along the Utah-Arizona border. The outbreak has also been connected to the first measles cases recorded in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas in the past week.
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As infected individuals have sought treatment at major hospitals in St. George and Cedar City, these medical facilities have become significant exposure sites for the disease.
"We have not seen people get infected in the health systems," Nolen said. "We've had people exposed. And we know that that's a risk and happily though, we have not seen anybody get sick after that."
"The thing to remember, though, is the vast majority of Utahns are vaccinated against this disease. And it is an exceptionally good vaccine."
Signs outside emergency rooms now direct patients with measles symptoms — including rash, fever and red eyes — to wait for an escort before entering the facility.
Intermountain Health, the parent company of hospitals in St. George and Cedar City, declined on-camera interviews but issued a statement urging patients to utilize telehealth or call ahead before visiting emergency rooms if they exhibit symptoms.
The disease poses particular risks for unvaccinated individuals due to its extreme contagiousness.
"Measles is exceptionally infectious. It can be somebody just walks through the room and 18 out of 20 people in that room, if they aren't vaccinated, get measles. It's crazy infectious," Nolen said.
According to the CDC, there have been three measles deaths nationwide this year, two involving children under nine years old. This represents double the number of deaths in the U.S. since 2003. Pediatric groups report that half of children under five who contract measles require hospitalization.
However, Nolen noted that unvaccinated individuals who have been exposed to measles can still receive retroactive protection through vaccination.
"The vaccine actually protects them even if they were exposed within three days," she said.
"I think everybody has to choose what risk they're doing. And we understand in Utah, people have different risk tolerances in different parts of the state and different communities. I know there's people who just aren't sure what to trust. There's a lot of things on social media that makes them nervous. There's a lot of things in the news that might make them nervous. I would really encourage people to talk to their healthcare provider.”
