Measles infections detected at 2 Heber City schools as Utah cases continue to rise

HEBER CITY — Parents with students at two Heber City schools are being encouraged to keep unvaccinated children at home after health officials identified a pair of positive measles cases.

In a letter sent to parents on Tuesday, the Wasatch County Health Department said one of the cases was confirmed at Timpanogos Middle School, where possible exposures may have happened on May 14 and 15. The other case was at Old Mill Elementary, with exposure likely on May 15.

County health officer Jonelle Fitzgerald said that, in an effort to reduce the likelihood of spreading the illness to additional staff and students at the two schools, anyone who has yet to receive the MMR vaccination is asked to stay home.

"Based on these exposure dates, this means not attending school for the remainder of this school year," she said in a statement.

The district's last day of school is next Friday, May 29.

Unvaccinated students at Timpanogos Middle School are urged to stay home for 21 days from the date of exposure. And unvaccinated students in third grade at Old Mill Elementary School should do the same, Fitzgerald said.

Health officials warn that measles is highly contagious, spreads easily, and can remain in the air for up to two hours.

"Approximately nine out of 10 people who are not immune will become infected when exposed," Fitzgerald said.

Utah continues to see a rise in measles cases; the Utah Department of Health and Human Services reported a total of 671 infections since the outbreak began last year. Health officials said they've identified 30 new cases of measles over the past three weeks.

State health officials encourage those who believe they may have been exposed to measles to contact their health provider immediately for further recommendations.

Related topics

Utah K-12 educationUtahSummit/Wasatch CountyHealth
Curtis Booker

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Curtis Booker is a reporter for KSL.