The ongoing measles outbreak in Arizona is now the largest in more than 30 years in the state.
Over the last five weeks, 30 cases of measles have been reported in the Colorado City area. There were also four measles cases reported in June in Navajo County, bringing this year’s total cases to 34 — the highest count in Arizona since 1991, according to Arizona Department of Health Services records.
Colorado City is a town of about 2,500 people on the Arizona-Utah border. Many residents of the area are members of the Mormon-offshoot polygamist sect known as FLDS. The community has very low vaccination rates.
One Colorado City elementary school last year reported a kindergarten MMR vaccination rate of just 7% — the lowest rate reported by any school in the state, records from the Arizona Department of Health Services show. The other school in the town reported a 40% kindergarten MMR vaccination rate last year.
But more people in the area are getting vaccinated amid the outbreak. The Mohave Department of Public Health said more than 550 MMR vaccines have been administered in the county in just the last few weeks.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known. But the MMR vaccine is highly protective against it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two doses of the vaccine are 97% effective at blocking the virus.
