Measles outbreak ends in Kansas. Why are health officials still on alert?

Robert A. Cronkleton, The Kansas City Star on Aug 22, 2025

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The measles outbreak in southwest Kansas is officially over, but the threat of new cases remains, state health officials announced Thursday.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said that two full incubation periods — 42 days — have passed since the last confirmed case.

With no active outbreak in the region, the health department is no longer recommending early measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination for infants 6 to 11 months old. Health care providers should now follow the standard childhood vaccination schedule.

“We are deeply grateful to all of the public health, health care and laboratory professionals who partnered with us and worked tirelessly throughout this measles outbreak,” KDHE Secretary Janet Stanek said in a news release.

The outbreak began in January and affected 10 counties in that area: Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Haskell, Kiowa, Morton, Pawnee, Seward and Stevens counties.

A total of 87 cases of measles have been confirmed in the outbreak. More than 80 percent of the cases were children, and more than 90 percent involved patients who were not vaccinated against measles, the health department said.

Eight patients were hospitalized during the outbreak. There were no deaths.

Statewide, three additional cases, reported in Reno and Sedgwick counties, were not linked to the southwest Kansas outbreak, bringing the state’s total number of cases to 90 so far this year. The last new cases were reported the week of July 6.

Threat of measles not over

Even with the outbreak declared over, officials warn new cases could still be reported in Kansas this year as measles outbreaks continue both nationally and globally.

The KDHE and local health department will continue to monitor for new cases. They urged medical providers to remain vigilant and test for measles if their patients have symptoms.

With the new school year beginning, health officials also urge families to make sure everyone is up to date on their vaccinations, including the MMR vaccine, which remains the most effective defense against the highly contagious respiratory virus.

Healthcare providers should report any suspected cases to the KDHE’s Epidemiology Hotline at 877-427-7317, option 5, immediately, preferably while the patient is still with the provider.

Number of new cases slow in the U.S.

Nationally, the number of new measles cases has slowed, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As of Tuesday, a total of 1,375 confirmed measles cases have been reported so far this year, the highest number in more than 30 years.

Measles cases have been reported in 41 states: Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

There have been 35 outbreaks reported this year, with 87% of confirmed cases outbreak-associated. That compares to 16 outbreaks reported in 2024, with 69% of cases outbreak-associated.

There have been 173 hospitalizations and three deaths so far this year.