Like the state’s first case reported last week, the two additional people who have been infected are adults and unvaccinated, according to a news release issued by the Utah Department of Health and Human services.

The two additional adults are not linked to each other or the first person who was diagnosed with measles on Friday. They are from different parts of the state, health officials said. One is a Utah County resident, while the other is from the state’s southwest health district.

“Public health investigations are ongoing to identify any locations where possible exposures may have occurred,” state health officials said.

Utahns can monitor the state’s measles case count and find more information about Utah’s response to outbreaks on the state’s website, epi.utah.gov/measles-response/.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the state listed only two potential “exposure locations” and times related to the state’s first confirmed case: Parkway Health Center in Orem, 154 W. 1300 South, from June 13 at 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., and Timpanogos Regional Emergency Room in Orem, 750 W. 800 North, from June 14 at 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

State officials are encouraging any unvaccinated people who were at these sites during those time frames to monitor themselves for symptoms, stay away from others and call their health care providers.

“Call first before you go to a clinic or hospital to prevent other people from exposure,” state officials said.

Measles symptoms usually appear seven to 14 days after exposure, according to the state health department. Early symptoms include a high fever (higher than 102.2 degrees fahrenheit or 39 degrees celsius), a cough, runny nose or red eyes. A rash typically appears after four days of fever.

The vast majority of Utahns, more than 90%, have been vaccinated against measles and are “highly protected against infection,” state officials said. However, infants younger than the age of 1 are generally not eligible for the vaccine.

“These infants are at higher risk of severe disease. If you have an infant younger than age 1 you can talk to your healthcare provider about your concerns and next steps,” state health officials said. “Measles is a highly contagious disease that can cause serious illness, especially in young children, pregnant women, and people who have weakened immune systems.”

While most Utahns are vaccinated, the state — along with other states in the West — have seen a downward trend in vaccination rates among Utah children in the last five years, Leisha Nolen, state epidemiologist, told reporters last week.

“The numbers are still not super low, but they’re low enough to cause us to be concerned that there could be kids who are vulnerable to this, and certainly there are parts of our state or schools that have higher numbers of kids that are not vaccinated,” Nolen said. “So we are concerned that little kids are susceptible to this. There could be an outbreak in a school. So we really would like to encourage people to get them and their children vaccinated.”

Health experts say the most effective protection against measles is the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is 97% effective against measles when a person gets two doses.

Public health officials want to “reassure the community that immediate action is being taken to contain the situation,” Tuesday’s news release said.

Utah News Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.