Utah's measles complications: pneumonia and dehydration to sepsis and shock

Utah's measles outbreak has led to pneumonia and other respiratory problems, liver inflammation and blood irregularities — often in children, according to new data from Utah health officials.

Why it matters: The report sheds light on the consequences of what critics have described as a half-hearted statewide response.

Yes, but: Outcomes in other states show Utahns were spared the worst health effects.

The big picture: In late winter, Utah became the epicenter of a nationwide measles contagion that began last year amid falling vaccination rates.

Driving the news: 49 Utah measles patients were hospitalized with problems ranging from low oxygen levels and dehydration to electrolyte abnormalities, sepsis and shock, according to a report last week in the New England Journal of Medicine publication Evidence.

• All but five were unvaccinated, and three of the five who were immunized had "severe immunocompromising conditions," per the report.
• Nearly 60% of those hospitalized were children.

By the numbers: More than three-quarters of hospitalized patients required IVs and more than 60% needed supplemental oxygen.

• More than 1 in 4 developed pneumonia, and chest radiographs were abnormal among 55% of patients whose results were available.
• More than half had abnormally low white blood cell counts and sodium levels. More than three-quarters were low on infection-preventing lymphocytes.

The other side: About 7.7% of Utahns diagnosed with measles in 2025-2026 were hospitalized — less than half the 20% rate in previous U.S. outbreaks.

• It's also slightly lower than the nationwide hospitalization rate of 8.5%.

Zoom out: None of Utah's patients died or developed the life-threatening complication of encephalitis, or brain swelling.

• By contrast, two measles patients in one South Carolina hospital system developed brain swelling, per data released last week.
• Two children died in Texas and one adult died in New Mexico.

What they're saying: "Encephalitis and death are both very rare events, so it is possible Utah has not had these outcomes simply due to chance," state health department spokesperson Danielle Conlon told Axios in a statement.

• Alternatively, it may be related to some other factors we are not aware of, such as underlying health conditions.

Utah is generally healthier than other states that had significant measles outbreaks.

• For children's health specifically, Utah outperforms those other states by most metrics.