Kansas seeing first measles outbreak since 2018. Where to get your vaccine now
Editor’s note: Sedgwick County confirmed its first measles case as part of the wider outbreak Wednesday, May 7, 2025. You can find the latest coverage here.
For those who haven’t been vaccinated, Dillons pharmacies offer the measles vaccine seven days a week, no appointment needed. If someone is unsure if they were vaccinated as a child, the pharmacy also offers immunity testing.
As measles cases rise in the country and in Kansas, Sedgwick County health officials are doing what they can to protect and educate the community against the highly contagious virus.
“We reached out, started [and] initiated meetings with our health and medical providers just about a month ago and have been meeting with them weekly to keep them apprised of what is going on in Kansas,” Adrienne Byrne, Sedgwick County Health Department director, told The Eagle this week. “We’re focusing on what is going on in Kansas [and] what it means for Sedgwick County in regards of how we are preparing.”
The county is holding a walk-in measles vaccine clinic Saturday, April 5 at its 1900 E. 9th St. location from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents can show up and get their vaccine for no out-of-pocket cost.
Insurance is not required, but if someone is insured, they should bring their card for the county to keep on file. Walk-ins may be cut off at 1 p.m., depending on popularity.
In addition to the pop-up clinic, residents can also set up an appointment with the county health department, which offers the MMR vaccine at its 2716 W. Central location. Due to the recent state cases, the county is waiving any administration fee.
“We’re trying to have no barriers to someone coming ... just to help get as much protection in the community as we can,” Byrne said.
As of April 2, there are 24 confirmed measles cases in Kansas, all confined to the southwestern part of the state.
“This marks the first measles outbreak in Kansas since 2018, and before that, it was 2015,” Byrne said.
Kiowa County, which is about a two-hour drive from Wichita, and Stevens County, about a three-hour drive from the city, have six cases each. The other 12 cases in the state are spread across four counties — Grant, Gray, Haskell and Morton.
Twenty-two of the cases are in school-aged children (ages 5 to 17), while two were identified in adults between 22 and 44 years old.
According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment dashboard, 21 of the cases were in individuals who were not vaccinated, one was in an individual who was not age-appropriately vaccinated and one is still pending verification. One case was in someone who was age-appropriately vaccinated — that could mean someone who only had one dose of the vaccine because they hadn’t reached the necessary age for their second dose. There is no information on the dashboard about the age of the individual.
It is not impossible for someone who was fully vaccinated to catch the measles, Byrne said.
“We can’t say that there will never be anyone [that’s vaccinated] that gets measles because it’s not 100%, but it is very, very rare,” Byrne said.
As of April 3, there have been 607 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. across 22 states. Ninety-seven percent of cases are in unvaccinated or unknown individuals, 1% of cases had one MMR dose and 1% had both doses of the vaccine. There has been one death confirmed to be from measles and one death under investigation.
What to know about the measles
Measles is more contagious than many other viruses, Byrne said. In fact, if someone isn’t vaccinated, it’s easier for them to catch measles than the flu.
“[The droplets] remain in the air for two hours. So someone that has measles .... can leave the store, leave the office, leave wherever, and if someone walks in and through that area in [those] two hours, they have just been exposed to measles,” Byrne said.
Someone who contracts measles won’t usually see symptoms until 10 to 14 days after exposure, according to Mayo Clinic. Individuals are also contagious four days before and after symptoms begin and end, so people exposed to someone who recently recovered can get the virus.
Symptoms usually include a cough, runny nose, sore throat, a fever and inflamed eyes. A rash then develops on the face and moves downward to the neck, chest and back, as well as the arms and legs. Some people can develop small white spots with a bluish center inside the mouth.
During an outbreak, 1 in 5 people usually need to seek hospital care, Byrne said, but that hasn’t been the case so far in Kansas this year.
“Historically, during a measles outbreak, about one in five people who get sick will need the hospital care, and one in 20 will develop pneumonia,” Byrne said.
Protecting yourself against the measles
The best form of protection is the vaccine, health officials say.
“If anyone is thinking, ‘Gosh ... I’m better off just to get the measles, then get the vaccine ... the vaccine is not safe for you,’ ... This vaccine has been around for 60 years, and vaccines go under numerous trials to ensure that they’re safe [and] they continue to be monitored,” Byrne confirmed.
The MMR vaccine, which is for measles, mumps and rubella, is 97% effective against the virus.
The county recommends children get their first dose of the vaccine at age 12 to 15 months and the second dose at around 4 to 6 years old. However, there are cases where 6-month-olds can get a vaccine when in a place with an outbreak. If Sedgwick County does report a measles case, 6-month-olds will be able to get a vaccine, Byrne said.
“We had a mom ask us that a couple weeks ago, and just told her ‘right now, you know, the recommended age is still 12 months, but if measles comes to Sedgwick County, bring your baby back, and we will take care of your baby,’” Byrne said.
If anyone is experiencing measles symptoms, they should stay home and away from people to avoid spreading the virus.
This story was originally published April 4, 2025 at 11:42 AM.
