Measles surge highlights Utah’s lack of herd immunity
Author: Megan Wallgren
Wallgren, M, "Measles surge highlights Utah’s lack of herd immunity." (2026, January 21). Lehi Free Press. https://lehifreepress.com/2026/01/20/measles-surge-highlights-utahs-lack-of-herd-immunity
1 additions to document , most recent 1 day ago
| When | Why |
|---|---|
| Feb-22-26 | Draft - Legislative letter |
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Measles surge highlights Utah’s lack of herd immunity
lehifreepress.com/2026/01/20/measles-surge-highlights-utahs-lack-of-herd-immunity
Vaccination rates across Utah, including in Utah County, have fallen below levels needed to maintain herd immunity as the state continues to track a measles outbreak during the 2025–2026 school year.
According to the Utah Measles Dashboard on utah.gov, there have been a recorded 210 measles cases statewide since last June. Of those cases, 187 were in unvaccinated individuals, and the majority involved children under the age of 18. Twenty people have been hospitalized, a number that reflects only admitted patients and does not include emergency room visits that did not end in a hospital stay.
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As of Jan. 19, Utah County has reported 26 measles cases, the highest number among counties along the Wasatch Front. The number is cumulative throughout the outbreak and not a snapshot of active infections.
Local health officials warn that increasing exemption rates, particularly in schools, are putting medically vulnerable residents at greater risk. As vaccination rates decline, the likelihood of outbreaks increases, especially in school settings.
You’re asking a smart, very specific question here, so I want to separate two things:
- HB 152 in Utah is usually a House bill number used in different years for different topics, and it changes from session to session.
- The high‑profile social‑media restrictions for minors in 2023 were actually SB 152 (a Senate bill), paired with HB 311, together called the Utah Social Media Regulation Act (they required age‑verification and strong parental control over minors’ social‑media accounts). (Utah Social Media Regulation Act, n.d.)
From what’s publicly available:
- Kirk A. Cullimore Jr. is a Republican state senator from Sandy/Cottonwood Heights who now serves as Majority Leader of the Utah Senate and has generally backed legislation framed as “protecting children” from social‑media harms and addictive tech design, as part of his caucus’s priorities. (Utah Senate, 2024)
- The 2023 social media regulation package (SB 152/HB 311) required social‑media platforms with over 5 million users to verify age, get parental consent for under‑18 accounts, limit late‑night access, and give parents broad access to kids’ accounts; these are the types of measures Cullimore and Senate leadership have publicly highlighted as “protecting children against addictive social media apps.” (Hunton Andrews Kurth, 2023) (Utah Department of Commerce, n.d.)
- In general, his voting and leadership record show support for: limiting certain kinds of online harms to minors, expanding legislative power over citizen initiatives, and backing other conservative policy priorities (tax cuts, school choice, etc.). (Kirk Cullimore Jr., n.d.) (Utah Senate, 2024)
- Because “HB 152” could refer to different bills in different years, I’d need the year or the topic (for example, “the 2023 social‑media bill” versus a 2024 or 2025 HB 152 on a totally different subject) to say precisely how he positioned himself on that exact bill.
If you tell me what year or topic you mean by “HB 152” (for example, “the social‑media bill for minors in 2023” or another issue), or if you paste the short description of that bill from the Utah Legislature site, I can help you read his position and think about how it lines up—or clashes—with your own priorities; would you like to Continue with AI for that, or head over to Create Document to start gathering notes and questions about his record?
Here’s what I can see so far about HB 152 (2026) and what that likely means about Sen. Cullimore’s stance, given his role and past record:
- HB 152 in the 2026 General Session is titled Educational Vaccine Exemption Amendments and is sponsored by Rep. Trevor Lee; its fiscal note says it ends the state health department’s vaccine exemption tracking module and produces small ongoing savings. (Utah Legislature, Fiscal Note for HB0152, 2026)
- The bill is framed around “educational” vaccine exemptions rather than tightening requirements, and it fits with a broader pattern of Utah GOP measures that expand or protect vaccine exemptions and limit tracking or mandates. (LegiScan, HB0084 history, 2024–2026) (Thomas & Tuttle, 2023)
- As of the latest info, HB 152 is still early in the process (committee action in the House, fiscal note released), so there hasn’t yet been a public Senate floor vote where Kirk Cullimore’s individual “yes/no” is recorded on this specific bill. (LegiScan, HB0152 committee roll call, 2026)
- Based on his position as Senate Majority Leader and his past leadership on conservative health‑policy and “personal choice” issues (like backing business‑ and worker‑oriented limits on vaccine/employment rules and aligning with his caucus on similar bills), it’s reasonable to expect he is at least open to, if not supportive of, efforts like HB 152 that expand vaccine excusals and reduce tracking rather than strengthen school‑based vaccine enforcement. (Teuscher & Cullimore coverage, 2025)
If you’re looking at measles news and those local‑health‑official warnings you pasted about exemption rates, what’s one question or concern you’d most want to email to Sen. Cullimore about HB 152 right now—would you like to click Continue with AI so we can draft your own talking points together, or head to Create Document to collect articles and notes first?
You’re thinking strategically here—that really helps your chances of getting an answer rather than a form letter.
A few practical moves that tend to work with state legislators:
- Keep it short: aim for 3–5 brief paragraphs, focused on one main issue (here, HB 152 and vaccine excusals in schools).
- Make your “hook” obvious in the first line: say you are a constituent in his district, mention your city or neighborhood, and state clearly that you’re writing about HB 152.
- Connect it to your life: briefly say why school vaccine exemptions matter to you (kids in school, work in health/education, an immunocompromised family member, concern about outbreaks, etc.).
- Ask 1–2 specific questions that require an answer, like “Will you vote for/against HB 152?” and “If it passes, how will you help protect medically vulnerable students?” rather than only making general statements.
If you had to pick just one clear question you want Sen. Cullimore to answer about HB 152 in his reply, what would it be—do you want to click Continue with AI so we can shape that into a short, strong email together, or head over to Create Document to start a fresh draft and collect your thoughts?
Aislynn Tolman-Hill, a spokesperson for the Utah County Health Department, said, “Herd immunity basically means that we want enough people to be vaccinated so that a virus can’t spread easily. When there are enough people vaccinated, it protects everyone, including those medically vulnerable who cannot be vaccinated, for instance, infants under the age of 1. The fewer people we have vaccinated, the closer we are to losing that herd immunity and protecting those people.”
Data provided by Alpine School District put the district’s vaccination exemption rates in Lehi and American Fork at around 9%. Herd immunity is considered jeopardized when exemption rates exceed 5%.
National data highlights Utah’s vulnerability. A Dec. 31 Washington Post article reported that no county in Utah has achieved herd immunity among kindergarten students. Utah County’s vaccination rate was reported at 89%, meaning an 11% exemption rate.
Health officials rely heavily on school vaccination data to assess community risk. “Unfortunately, what we are seeing this year is more and more exemptions,” Tolman-Hill said. “We are getting closer and closer to losing that herd immunity.”
Under current Utah law, parents seeking a vaccine exemption for their child must complete an online module at immunize.gov. The 15-minute course explains vaccine-preventable diseases, how immunizations work, and what happens if a non-immunized student is exposed during an outbreak. After completing the module, parents provide a certificate to their school nurse. There is no fee for the exemption.
That process may soon change. During the 2026 legislative session, Rep. Trevor Lee is sponsoring HB 152, Educational Vaccine Exemptions. If passed, the bill would require all vaccine exemptions to be obtained through local health departments, with in-person counseling from nurses or physicians, and would include a $25 fee. The online exemption option would be eliminated.
Tolman-Hill encouraged families to consult trusted health care providers if they have concerns or questions about vaccines. Vaccinations are available through local health departments, physicians and many pharmacies. Assistance programs exist for those without insurance.
“Vaccines are safe and an effective way to protect yourself, your family and your community,” Tolman-Hill added. “We’re here to help.”
Health officials are currently in a waiting period to see whether additional cases will be reported, but Tolman-Hill expects the numbers to rise. “As long as vaccination rates remain below herd immunity thresholds, there will be some risk,” she said.
For more information about vaccinations and herd immunity, talk to your physician or visit health.utahcounty.gov.
Added February 22, 2026 at 12:03pm
by Owen Crossman
Title: Draft - Legislative letter
Senator Mr. Cullimore,
My name is Owen Crossman, and I'm a senior at Judge Memorial Catholic High School. While I do go to school in the city, I am part of your district, living in East Sandy. As I was looking through the bills that are passing through the 2026 legislative session, HB152, regarding vaccine exemptions in the school system, caught my attention. I strongly oppose what the bill is proposing, and I urge you to vote against it.
This bill, which proposes an easier avenue for parents to receive exemptions from vaccines for various reasons, is concerning. Not because it gives exemptions, but because it removes the requirement for parents to be educated in the matter before making a decision. What Senator Lee is proposing isn't adding to a lack of education, but rather supporting ignorance. Removing the middle factor, of meeting with a health care professional, and completing an online training module, means parents are making decisions, unaware of what that decision entails.
There has been an increase in measles outbreaks in the state, and a Study done by the Lehi Free Press found a direct correlation between the number of exemptions and the amount of measles outbreaks. Infact there is an active outbreak at both Highland High School and Standberry High School. According to the world health organzation, the infectious rate of measles rises to 90% without the vaccination. The only way that all people are protected against measeles is the central idea of herd immunity.
Because of these reasons I urge you to reconsider your position for HB 152. The bill doesn't take away anyones free choiuce, but its sending paretns into a diasstrous whitrwind of weful unawareness. At the end of the day it is the parents decision, its their right, but the governemnt has the responsibility to make sure that their decision is certain. Voting against HB 152, doesn't increse govenrment power over its people, but makes sure that everyone stays safe, all childrent and parents in all school districts.
Thank you for your dedicated service to the community and thank you for considering to change your position. I hope you will continue working toward policies that serve the long-term well-being of the people of Utah.
Sincerly,
Owen Crossman
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