A Salt Lake County health investigation has traced a measles case to a Highland High School student who was in class while contagious on Feb. 6 and again during the week of Feb. 9 through 13. Officials say the student was not vaccinated, and Highland High has sent notifications to families, including specific alerts to those without a documented MMR shot. County health officials report they are working closely with the district to identify close contacts and keep the virus from spreading further.
Timeline and school notifications
County health authorities say they notified parents of students who were likely in direct contact with the infected student and also reached out to families whose vaccination records were not up to date, as reported by KSL. According to KSL TV, the health department told school officials the student was not vaccinated and may have been exposed during a recent high school activity. School leaders told families they would continue to share updates and specific guidance with anyone identified as a close contact.
How contagious is measles and who is most at risk
Measles is highly contagious. The Salt Lake County Health Department notes that the virus can hang in the air for up to two hours after an infectious person leaves a room, and unvaccinated people who are exposed have about a 90% chance of getting sick, according to the Salt Lake County Health Department. The department also reports that two doses of the MMR vaccine provide about 97% protection against measles. County public information officer Nicholas Rupp has warned that early symptoms often look a lot like a cold or the flu, which can slow down diagnosis and contact tracing.
Outbreak backdrop
The Highland High exposure is one of several recent school-linked cases as Utah’s measles outbreak continues to grow. The statewide response is tracked on a measles dashboard with case counts and exposure locations maintained by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. Local reporting indicates the statewide total has climbed into the hundreds, and KSL reported 300 confirmed cases in the current outbreak. Health officials say most of those infections have been in people who were not vaccinated.
What parents should do now
Families are urged to check their children’s immunization records, which are often available through the Docket app or from a child’s health care provider, and to contact a medical professional before seeking in-person care if symptoms appear. The Salt Lake County Health Department lists its immunization clinics and scheduling details, including same-day appointment options for those who need an MMR dose, on its immunizations page. For students who are identified as close contacts and are not vaccinated, public health officials may recommend quarantine or a post-exposure MMR shot to help prevent illness.
Highland High administrators and county health officials say they will continue monitoring the situation and will notify families as additional contacts are identified through the investigation. Anyone who believes they may have been exposed is advised to call their doctor or local health department and to avoid walking into clinics or emergency rooms without calling ahead, in order to reduce the risk of spreading the virus to others.
