Utah has recorded 524 confirmed measles cases through early August 2026, the state's highest count since 1991, and Canyons School District families have four days to make sure immunization paperwork is ready before classes begin Monday, Aug. 17.

Grades 1 through 12 in Canyons District start Monday, Aug. 17. Kindergarten begins Wednesday, Aug. 19. On the Alpine School District side of Draper, grades 1-12 start Aug. 19 and kindergarten follows Aug. 25.

To enroll, Canyons District requires proof of current address, a birth certificate and current immunization records, according to the district's enrollment FAQ.

What vaccines are required

Utah law mandates that all K-6 students show proof of five doses of DTaP, four doses of polio vaccine, two doses of MMR, three doses of hepatitis B, two doses of hepatitis A and two doses of varicella (chickenpox), according to the state immunization guidebook.

Students in grades 7-12 need all of the above plus one dose of Tdap (given at age 10 or older) and one dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine. Flu and COVID-19 shots are recommended but not required for school entry.

The two-dose MMR vaccine is the key defense against measles. Two doses are 97% effective at preventing the disease, according to the CDC.

How exemptions work

Utah allows three types of vaccine exemptions: medical, religious and personal. To file any exemption, a parent or guardian must complete a free online education module at immunize.utah.gov or attend an in-person consultation at a local health department for a fee of up to $25, according to state immunization rules.

Medical exemptions also require a signed statement from a licensed healthcare provider. Once filed, exemptions remain valid until a student graduates, unless the student moves into a new grade band (K-6 to 7-12) that requires additional vaccines. Exemptions from other states are not accepted; families new to Utah must file a Utah-specific form.

Students who show up without complete records get 30 calendar days of conditional enrollment. After that, they're excluded until requirements are met.

What happens during an outbreak

Here's the rule that matters most right now: during a confirmed outbreak at a school, the principal must identify non-immune students and may exclude unvaccinated or exempt students from class until a local health officer clears them to return.

Utah's outbreak is concentrated in three rural health districts — Tri County, Central Utah and Southwest — which hold 12% of the state's population but account for 64% of cases, Fox 13 reported. On the Wasatch Front, which includes Draper, the infection rate is roughly one in 13,000 residents.

The risk gap between vaccinated and unvaccinated Utahns is stark: about one in 440 unvaccinated residents has caught measles during this outbreak, compared with one in 47,000 among those who are vaccinated.

Utah's kindergarten MMR vaccination rate has fallen from 97.7% in the 2009-10 school year to 88.6% in 2024-25, well below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity. That decline ranks Utah 43rd in the nation.

"The learning environment is then more fragile because of the risk of disruption by infectious illness," pediatrician Dr. Molly O'Shea said in an Aug. 12 interview with the Utah News Dispatch, discussing the risks of declining vaccination rates nationwide.

Families with immunization questions can reach the Utah Immunization Program at 801-538-9450.