March 3, 2026
A few weeks ago I had a chance to visit one of the Utah communities hardest hit by measles. I went to listen—to hear their stories and better understand how we can support families to stop measles.
What I heard over and over was how shockingly sick people got when they had measles.
When I asked a group of local healthcare providers if they had seen many severe cases, I was struck by the reaction: every head in the room nodded instantly. Everyone started speaking at once about the patients they were treating. EMS providers told me they knew exactly which neighborhoods were struggling because they were being called to those same streets multiple times a day. A local midwife spoke of new mothers so weakened by the virus they were unable to breastfeed. Doctors admitted they didn’t realize an adult could survive a fever of 107 or 109 degrees—until they saw it repeatedly over the past few months.
We heard the same thing from the families too. They told us about teenagers who couldn’t get out of bed for days, losing 15 pounds and still struggling to feel “normal” months later. Person after person told us that ever since having measles they keep getting sick over and over. Even the most minor cold seemed to take them down for days.
Many people in the community told us honestly: “We just didn’t know it was this bad when we chose not to vaccinate.” They asked us to share their experiences so that other Utahns can have complete information as they make choices for their own families. We want these stories to be heard because measles isn’t just a “bad cold” or a mild case of chickenpox. It’s a disease that can sideline a healthy person for weeks and leave them vulnerable for months.
Dr. Leisha Nolen, Utah state epidemiologist