Latest news with #UtahDepartmentofHealthandHumanServices
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Measles outbreak hasn't hit Utah yet, but health officials are bracing for when it does
For years, Utah's early childhood vaccination rates have been declining. (Getty Images) Amid national outbreaks, a confirmed measles case hasn't yet hit Utah — but as nearby states report cases, the highly contagious virus could be closing in. Meanwhile, Utah's childhood vaccination rates have been on a steady decline for years. Local and state public health officials say it's likely a matter of time before the Beehive State gets its first measles case, and they're bracing for if or when it happens. 'We're always looking at cases in other states,' Rich Lakin, immunization program manager at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, told Utah News Dispatch this week. 'We've been ready for a long time, but so far so good. We haven't had any cases here in Utah.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX But to be prepared, Lakin said state public health officials are working with local health departments, clinics, and physicians to ensure they know how to quickly identify a measles case and properly handle it when someone comes in for treatment. Nic Rupp, spokesperson for the Salt Lake County Health Department, said county health officials 'monitor the status nationwide every day.' 'We will likely see a case locally as infections get closer geographically and as people travel more this summer,' Rupp said. In the meantime, he said the Salt Lake County Health Department is encouraging populations with low rates for the MMR vaccine (which protects against measles, mumps and rubella) to get up to date on their shots as part of efforts to minimize the spread of the virus 'when a case does show up here.' The last reported measles infection in Utah was reported in March 2023, according to state health officials. 'A person who was not vaccinated traveled outside the U.S. and brought measles back to Utah,' the state's website says. 'We do not believe anyone else in Utah got measles from this person.' Before that 2023 case, three people in Utah had measles in February 2017. So far this year Utah's neighboring state of Colorado has confirmed five cases, according to NBC News' outbreak tracker. New Mexico has seen 79 cases, 14 of which have been reported in the last four weeks. In Texas, 753 cases have been confirmed, with 60 reported in the last four weeks. NM measles cases rise to 78, with possible exposures at Santa Fe and Albuquerque Walmarts As of Thursday, a total of 1,088 confirmed measles cases have been reported in 2025 from 33 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those include Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. Fourteen outbreaks have been reported so far in 2025, and 90% of those confirmed cases (977 of 1,088) have been outbreak associated, according to the CDC. For comparison, 16 outbreaks were reported during 2024, and 69% of cases (198 of 285) were outbreak associated. For several years now, Utah health officials have tracked a decline in the state's early childhood MMR vaccinations. According to the state's immunization dashboard, the percentage of Utah children that received at least one dose of the MRR vaccine at 24 months old has dropped from 94.5% of those born in 2019 to 89.8% of those born in 2021. 'It has dropped,' Lakin said. He pointed out that the region, which also includes the states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming, has gone from a 98.3% for the birth year of 2019 'all the way down to 86.4%.' 'So the region as a whole is not doing very well,' he said. That concerns public health officials because travelers tend to visit nearby states, 'anytime you get cases in other states, then it increases our chances of getting a measles case here in Utah.' The ideal vaccination rate to reach herd immunity protection against measles is 95%, he said. Young children are also most at risk if they contract the virus. 'The thing that would concern us the most would be for an adult to get measles, and then you pass it to a 6-month-old that hasn't been vaccinated yet,' he said. The state's dashboard is currently using the latest available data from 2023, Lakin said, but state officials are working to update it soon with 2024 data. Health officials expect that Utah's immunization rate has continued to decline. 'The expectation is, yes, it is continuing to decline,' he said, though he added, 'by how much, I do not know yet.' Poll: Belief in false measles claims correlated with lower vaccination rates State 2023 data shows public school districts tend to have higher immunization rates than charter schools. In Salt Lake County, Canyons, Granite, Jordan, Murray and Salt Lake City school districts, all had more than 95% immunization rates for the second dose of MMR vaccine in K-12 schools, compared to 91.8% in charter schools. However, according to that data, only 92.3% of kindergartners in Salt Lake County are up to date on measles vaccination — below the ideal 95% herd immunity threshold. Last year, Axios reported Utah has one of the nation's highest rates of childhood vaccine waivers. Religious exemptions accounted for the fastest-rising share of exemptions since before the pandemic, accounting for 13% of Utah's waivers last year, up from 5.9% in 2019, according to a state report released last year. The vast majority, however, are attributed to 'personal belief,' accounting for 84.9% of the waivers in the 2023 to 2024 school year. Given the troubling pattern of declining vaccination rates across Utah and other states amid deepening distrust of institutions in the U.S., Lakin acknowledged its 'difficult' to encourage people to vaccinate their children, but he said health officials will continue to try to ensure Utahns get accurate information. 'Look at the history,' he said, adding that back in the 1800s, 'if your child lived to be an adult, you were very happy. Because they either got smallpox or they got measles or they got mumps, or they got rubella, tetanus, or diphtheria. … I mean, think of all these vaccine preventable diseases that we just don't see anymore, and it's because of vaccinations.' Nonpartisan poll finds 'remarkably low' trust in federal health agencies Lakin said 'unfortunately people are losing sight of what these vaccinations are doing and getting the wrong information in such a fast-paced world that we live in now.' 'They're not getting the right information anymore,' he said. 'That's what our continued message is — that vaccinations have been one of the greatest public health achievements we have seen, and we want to continue to keep people safe through vaccinations.' In a news release issued back in February — after Texas announced the first death of a school-aged child from measles — the Salt Lake County Health Department urged people to ensure they're protected. 'For decades, the MMR vaccine has been proven safe and effective,' said Dorothy Adams, executive director of the Salt Lake County Health Department. 'Ensuring now that you and your loved ones are adequately protected will help prevent serious illness in our community if this current multistate measles outbreak spreads to Utah.' Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known, and it can be so easily spread that people who are not immune have a 90% chance of catching it if they go near an infected person. Someone with measles can spread it to others even before they know they are ill, and the virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left the area. Salt Lake County health officials said the best protection against measles is to be immunized with two doses of the MMR vaccine, which can prevent more than 97% of measles infections. In the remaining 3% of cases — when a fully vaccinated person catches measles — the symptoms are milder, the illness is shorter, and the infected person is less likely to spread it. Unvaccinated people, including children who are too young to be vaccinated, are more likely to experience severe complications from a measles infection. Measles vaccine recommendations vary based on age and vaccination history. Here's what public health experts recommend: Children should receive two doses of measles vaccine: one dose at 12 to 15 months of age and another at 4 to 6 years. Adults born before 1957 generally do not need to be vaccinated because they are likely already immune to measles due to widespread infection and illness before the measles vaccine became available in 1963. Adults who were vaccinated before 1968 should have a second dose because the vaccine used from 1963 to 1967 was less effective than the current vaccine, which became available in 1968. Adults who were vaccinated in 1968 or later are considered fully protected whether they have one or two doses, though certain higher risk groups (college students, health care workers, international travelers) should have two doses. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Change in Utah's newborn safe haven law can help more babies
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways A change made to the Utah newborn safe haven law went into effect Wednesday, allowing more parents a way to safely give up custody of their baby, no questions asked. The original law, passed in 2001 by former Sen. Patrice Arent, limited the age of newborns that can be surrendered under the law to 30 days or younger. This year, the state Legislature passed SB57, that changes the age of newborns that can be surrendered under the law to 90 days (three months) and younger. 'The law exists to protect infants, help birth parents, and to find loving homes for the newborns. By expanding the age to 90 days old or younger, more babies in Utah will have the chance to live safe and happy lives,' said Arent who now serves as the chair of the Newborn Safe Haven advisory board. Under the law, parents or a parent's designee can give up custody of their newborn at any hospital in the state. 'The baby will receive the care they need in a forever home. No names, blame, or shame — only love and support," according to a release from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. Since the safe haven law passed in 2001, an average of at least two babies have been surrendered every year in the Beehive State. 'The intent of that bill was to help protect newborns from injury or death by providing a safe place (hospitals) for them and allow the identity of the person who gives up the baby to remain anonymous,' the release said. The expansion of the age to 3 months and younger will allow more babies to safely be surrendered and will help increase awareness of the law and that option for parents. After the newborn is surrendered to a hospital, they are examined by medical professionals and then placed for adoption through the Division of Child and Family Services. For more information about the safe haven law, visit
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
As Utah's fluoride ban begins, health officials urge Utahns to protect their teeth
As Utah's law banning fluoridation in water takes effect, health officials are focused on educating the public and reminding them that fluoride is now readily available at most pharmacies. (Photo by) Utah is set to become the first state in the nation to ban fluoride in drinking water, with a new law taking effect later this week, on Wednesday. That day, the fluoride taps will turn off, if they haven't already. While Davis and Salt Lake counties, and Brigham City, are the only governments that still add fluoride to drinking water, roughly half of the state's population lives there. Sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain, HB81 prevents counties and municipalities from adding fluoride to drinking water, while adding it to the list of drugs pharmacists can prescribe. The reasoning, Gricius said, is that the decision should be left to the individual. 'I would just say it doesn't get more local control than my own body,' she said during the legislative session earlier this year. RFK Jr. 'proud' of Utah's ban on fluoride in drinking water, hopes other states will follow Gricius' bill was one of several that aligned with the 'Make America Healthy Again,' or MAHA, agenda promoted by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who praised the law earlier this year. Now, for health officials like Stacey Bank, executive medical director for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, the focus is on educating the public and reminding them that fluoride is now readily available at most pharmacies. 'I'm grateful for the opportunity to have this conversation. We haven't talked about oral health and fluoride this much in my career as long as I can remember. This is an opportunity to get the message out to the entire state,' she said on Friday. 'I know it's not always easy to get into a doctor or dentist, there are barriers there. Going to your local pharmacist, talking to the person behind the counter, is enough to take care of your teeth.' There are currently 25 water systems serving about 1.6 million people spread out across Davis and Salt Lake counties, and Brigham City, that add fluoride to the water. Brigham City has been adding fluoride to the water since the 1960s; Davis County started in 1999; and Salt Lake County in 2003. Some treatment plants have already stopped adding fluoride to the water, including a handful in Davis County, and Salt Lake County's City Creek Water Treatment Plant. 'If I was looking into a crystal ball, we're going to see a decline in oral health if our community doesn't take action, and now go to their dentist and talk about what's best for them and receive their supplements. If that happens, I don't think we'll see much of a change,' said Brian Hatch, director of the Davis County Health Department. In Salt Lake County, where the water has been fluoridated for almost two decades, health officials say they're losing an effective public health tool. 'From a public health standpoint, we know that community water fluoridation is the best way to benefit individuals and the overall community's oral health,' added Ron Lund, environmental health director for the Salt Lake County Health Department. 'It's the most efficient and effective way to do that for people who cannot afford or may not be able to go to routine dental visits.' But while health officials say it's possible they'll see an uptick in cavities in regions currently fluoridating their water, others see the bill as an opportunity. Most of rural Utah has already stopped adding the mineral to the public water supply. Fluoride is a hot topic now, and with the May 7 deadline approaching, it gives public health experts a chance to educate communities, they say. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'It's an opportunity for our more rural communities. Other than Brigham City, none of our rural communities have been adding fluoride to the water. So this is bringing more attention to how important fluoride is and giving them access to get it, that they may not have known they needed,' said State Dental Director Stacey Swilling. But concern remains. Shifting the responsibility to individuals means Utahns will have to be more proactive about getting fluoride, which could be a burden, especially to low-income families that may already struggle with access to transportation or public health information. Swilling, who used to practice dentistry in another state, said it was clear which patients have access to fluoridated water. 'Anectdoally, where I used to practice, I can tell you I saw a huge difference … There's plenty of research out there that does show the disparities,' she said, pointing to studies conducted in Juneau, Alaska, and Calgary, Alberta, where the removal of fluoride from drinking water resulted in a spike in cavities. Most officials agree — Utah is headed into uncharted waters. While there are case studies in other cities, counties, states and countries, Utah is the first U.S. state to pass a sweeping ban, while also trying to make fluoride more accessible over the counter. 'We don't know how this is going to turn out,' Bank said. 'We know about barriers to care, that's our job, to look for and eliminate those. At this point, we're trying to educate the public. It is going to take a more proactive effort, and we are going to have to look at those barriers and let this unfold to see how those barriers are affecting people.' Fluoride is a mineral that has been shown to strengthen teeth by replacing minerals that are lost from acid breakdown, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since the 1940s, communities around the country have been fluoridating their water. A recent report from the National Toxicology Program found that high levels of fluoride in drinking water can be associated with a lower I.Q. in children, but according to the report, those levels are twice as high as the current recommended amount of fluoride. 'The thing we need to know about those studies is that they were done looking at fluoride levels that were far outside what we are recommending for oral health,' Bank said. 'We know what we're trying to do today is a safe and effective dose of fluoride.' Still, that drop in I.Q. is often cited as a reason to stop adding fluoride to water, part of a nationwide movement against the mineral. Perhaps the most prominent critic of fluoride is Kennedy Jr., who applauded Gricius' bill during a stop in Utah in April. 'It makes no sense to have fluoride in our water. The evidence against fluoride is overwhelming … we know that it causes I.Q. loss,' Kennedy, a longtime critic of certain public health policies and medical practices, said during his visit 'I'm very, very proud of this state for being the first state to ban (fluoride). I hope many more will come.' Gricius' bill passed mostly along party lines, with a handful of Republicans joining Democrats in opposition. Despite the pushback from dentists and other health professionals, it was signed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on March 27. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Axios
03-05-2025
- Health
- Axios
Fluoride supplements advised after Utah bans mineral in public water
Utah health department officials are encouraging residents to "prevent tooth decay" by talking to their medical providers about fluoride supplements. The big picture: The guidance, released Friday, comes after Utah became the first state in the U.S. to ban adding fluoride to public water systems. The move was celebrated by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy during his visit to Utah last month. The ban takes effect May 7. By the numbers: The law is expected to impact 1.6 million Utahns living in Salt Lake and Davis counties, including Brigham City, according to the news release. What they're saying:"We recognize the benefits of fluoride to overall health," Stacey Swilling, the state dental director at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), said in a statement. "While community water fluoridation will no longer be available, there are measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of developing cavities." Zoom in: Under the law, pharmacists are allowed to prescribe fluoride supplements to patients, in addition to doctors and dentists.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How to protect your teeth after the fluoridation ban: DHHS offers tips
SALT LAKE CITY () — The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is encouraging Utahns to take action before fluoride is removed from drinking water next week. , Fluoride Amendments, goes into effect on May 7 and will prohibit fluoridation in any public water systems across the state. The bill also allows pharmacists to prescribe fluoride tablets for those who want fluoridation. Ahead of the ban, DHHS is providing Utahns with more information about fluoride and oral health. They also expressed their concerns that this will impact roughly 1.6 million Utahns in Salt Lake County, Davis County, and Brigham City. MORE ABOUT THE BILL: Gov. Cox signs fluoridation ban into law – a nationwide first 'Access to accurate, evidence-based information remains essential for protecting the health of all Utahns. Oral health is a critical component of overall well-being, and we are committed to ensuring communities — especially those who may be most impacted by this change — continue to have the support and education needed to maintain good dental health,' Dr. Stacey Bank, executive medical director at DHHS, is quoted in a press release. DHHS explains that fluoride is 'a natural mineral that helps protect your teeth and bones.' They also state that there is a natural amount of fluoride found in drinking water, but it is not generally enough to provide the benefits that protect teeth. DHHS says Utahns can provider and ask about natural fluoride levels in the drinking water. Utahns are also recommended to complete a regular dental check-up every six months. For children six months and older, DHHS recommends fluoride varnishes two to four times a year to prevent cavities. Fluoride supplements are also recommended for children between the ages of six months and 16 years. 'I am very proud of Utah': RFK Jr. commends state officials on fluoridation ban 'We recognize the benefits of fluoride to overall health. While community water fluoridation will no longer be available, there are measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of developing cavities… We encourage Utahns to have regular checkups with a dentist or healthcare provider to make sure they are doing everything they can to protect their oral health,' said Dr. Stacey Swilling, state dental director at DHHS. Although fluoride is most effective for children and teens, DHHS has recommendations for ensuring oral health in everybody, regardless of age. Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste 2 times a day. Floss your teeth before you go to bed. Limit the amount of sugar you eat or drink. Quit tobacco and nicotine use — including vaping. These products can increase the risk of gum disease, infections in your mouth, and tooth loss. For more information on fluoride, visit the . Utahns who need a dentist can also find low-cost dental clinics near them through the link. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
