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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posts endorsement of measles MMR vaccine on X
Health and Human Services secretary, and vaccine skeptic, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supports measles vaccine after visiting West Texas.
- Kansas reported nine new measles cases, all appearing to be from the same county, bringing the state total to 46.
- The outbreak remains concentrated in southwest Kansas, primarily affecting unvaccinated children.
- Kansas has the third-highest number of measles cases in the U.S., following Texas and New Mexico.
- Health officials recommend two doses of the MMR vaccine for children and one or two doses for adults, depending on their risk factors.
Public health officials reported nine new measles cases in Kansas in the past week after not recording any new cases the week before.
State data indicate all nine new cases were in the same county, eight of those patients are children and at least eight of the patients were unvaccinated.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported April 30 that Kansas has had 46 total measles cases statewide. That’s up from 37 cases as of t he April 23 and April 16 reports. There has been one hospitalization reported, but no deaths, from the Kansas measles outbreak.
Nationwide, there have been 884 total confirmed measles cases across 30 jurisdictions as of April 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those cases have led to 94 hospitalizations and three deaths. Two of the deaths have been unvaccinated school-aged children in Texas, while the other was an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico.
Kansas has had the third-most cases of any state behind Texas’ 663 and New Mexico’s 66, according to CDC data and Associated Press reporting.
Where are measles cases in Kansas?
The measles cases have all been in southwest Kansas.
Gray County — located between Dodge City and Garden City — has had the most cases at 15, an increase of nine from last week’s KDHE data.
Haskell County has had eight cases, Stevens County has had seven and Kiowa county has had six. Finney, Ford, Grant and Morton counties each have between one and five cases, but KDHE hasn’t reported the exact number in order to protect patient privacy. Those statistics are unchanged from last week’s data.
Measles is primarily affecting unvaccinated children
In Kansas, measles is primarily affecting unvaccinated children.
Of the 46 cases, eight are adults, 14 are ages infant to 4 years old — which is when the second MMR vaccine dose is recommended — while 24 are in the 5-17 years old age range. That’s an increase of one adult and eight children since last week.
At least 39 of the patients haven’t been vaccinated, up from 31 a week ago. Three patients have received age-appropriate vaccinations, while one patient was under-vaccinated for their age. Vaccination statuses for three patients couldn’t be verified, up from two a week ago.
Kansas public health officials recommend MMR vaccine
Public health officials recommend that two doses of the MMR vaccine for children, with the first dose administered at age 12-15 months and the second dose at age 4-6 years, before entering school. Adults are generally recommended to get one dose. Two doses are recommended for adults working in health care or attending higher education, due to the higher risk of exposure and transmission.
For counties that are part of the measles outbreak as well as the surrounding counties, KDHE is recommending an early dose of the MMR vaccine. Also known as an infant dose, that dose is recommended for infants ages 6-11 months.
For children in those counties who are older than 12 months and have not been vaccinated, KDHE recommends “one dose immediately and follow with a second dose at least 28 days after.” Children older than 12 months who have already gotten a first dose “should receive an early second dose.”
KDHE is also advising teenagers and adults who have previously been vaccinated with one dose should receive a second dose.
Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at [email protected]. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.
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Sources 2/ https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/healthcare/2025/05/01/kansas-measles-outbreak-grows-to-46-total-cases-after-9-new-cases/83368419007/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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