Kansas reports no new measles cases

As cases increase nationally, Kansas reports no new cases of measles.

By

State News

August 11, 2025 - 2:01 PM

With children across Kansas returning to school next week, health officials are urging parents to consider the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination. Photo by Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images/Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Kansas reported no new measles cases for the third week in a row Wednesday, and health officials are encouraging parents to vaccinate their children as they return to school next week to keep that trend going.

The lack of new cases puts Kansas about halfway through the 42 days required for a measles outbreak to be considered over, which is two incubation periods of 21 days each, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CLOSE PROXIMITY in classrooms creates the ideal environment for the spread of measles, considered the most contagious vaccine-preventable disease, said Karen Winkelman, public health director for the Barton County Health Department.

She said county health officials maintain a strong working relationship with schools, which helps speed communications if there is a measles case.

“With measles, it’s going to be quick action, quick notification,” she said, adding that they’re also encouraging schools to adopt and teach strong hygiene practices.

HANDWASHING, good practices when sneezing and coughing, and encouraging parents to keep their children home when they have symptoms are among the practices Winkelman highlighted.

“Also review immunization records, making sure they are properly and appropriately vaccinated, and also just being honest, up front,” she said. “We’re not going to force vaccination, but we want you to know what the consequences are if there would happen to be an exposure.”

With a 21-day incubation period, an unvaccinated child who has been exposed may not be able to attend school for that time period.

SCHOOL vaccination data from 2025 isn’t available yet, but many Kansas school districts last year reported decreased vaccination rates, according to Kansas State Department of Education data. For instance, the Gray County kindergarten vaccination rate dropped from 76% in the 2022-23 school year to 66% in 2023-24.

Ninety cases of measles have been reported in 12 Kansas counties since January, according to Kansas Department of Health and Environment data. Most of the cases, 87, are related to an outbreak, which occurs when three or more cases are linked to each other.

The last new Kansas measles cases were reported during the week of July 6.

“Certainly we can hope that the current outbreak situation is improved and nearly ending,” said Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at the University of Kansas Health System.

At the national level, the CDC reported 1,356 confirmed cases of measles as of Wednesday.

COMMUNICATING about the importance of vaccines continues to be important, he said. Many people still quote information that has been thoroughly researched and debunked, Hawkinson said.

“There have continued to be publications which continue to support the safety and benefits of vaccines, but especially the (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine,” he said. “There continue to be new, updated, well-done studies that show the safety of these vaccines.”

Hawkinson referenced a recent Denmark study of 1.2 million children born between 1997 and 2018 that found no association between minute amounts of aluminum in vaccines and long-term health impacts.

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