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With two measles cases in Heber schools, unvaccinated students have to stay home

A young child in a doctor's office wearing a brightly-colored bag. A nurse out of shot is putting an adhesive bandage over where the child got a vaccine.
CDC
/
Unsplash

Health officials have confirmed two measles cases at schools in Heber City, prompting the district to ask for unvaccinated children to stay home.

One case was identified at Old Mill Elementary School with probable exposure last Friday, according to the Wasatch County Health Department. The other was at Timpanogos Middle School, where the exposure was likely on May 14 and 15.

In a letter to parents at those schools, the district said unvaccinated third graders or any students at Timpanogos should stay at home for three weeks, which would cover the incubation period of measles from the earlier exposure date.

That would keep those students out of school through the end of the school year.

As of this week, Utah has confirmed 671 cases of measles since the current outbreak started last June. Spread has slowed over the last month, but Utah remains one of the U.S. outbreak epicenters.

Duck is a general reporter and weekend announcer at UPR, and is studying broadcast journalism and disability studies at USU. They grew up in northern Colorado before moving to Logan in 2018, so the Rocky Mountain life is all they know. Free time is generally spent with their dog, Monty, listening to podcasts, reading, or wishing they could be outside more.