With 23 confirmed cases in six counties and counting, what began as a single measles case in rural Kansas has now escalated into a major health issue. A single virus swiftly spread throughout Ashtabula County, causing Ohio to experience its flare-up and report 10 cases. Public health experts are on high alert due to the recurrence of this disease that was previously suppressed.
According to Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, “this disease can be very serious, even deadly.” “But with the right vaccination, it’s also practically completely preventable.”
According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the outbreak, which was initially discovered in Stevens County on March 13, has now expanded to Haskell, Gray, and Kiowa in addition to the southwestern counties of Grant, Morton, and Stevens. Children under the age of 18 make up the majority of those infected, 21 out of 23, raising concerns for both parents and schools.
Although the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine is typically administered after a child’s first birthday, Kansas health officials are responding by recommending early vaccinations for infants aged 6 to 11 months in outbreak areas.
The issue is not unique. Since the outbreak started in late January in Texas and New Mexico, the number of cases has skyrocketed to 43 in New Mexico and an astounding 327 in Texas. Oklahoma, which is associated with those same outbreaks, has also reported nine cases. Kansas health officials now claim that there is “a possible link” between these areas and their outbreak, raising the possibility that the virus is covertly moving over state lines.
Ohio is not exempt either. With a separate exposure in Knox County that may have impacted multiple others, Ashtabula County is the focal point of its most recent outbreak. Health officials worry that if this outbreak is not promptly handled, it may equal or surpass the previous outbreak that affected 85 individuals in central Ohio in 2022.
The difficulty? Immunization rates that are behind schedule. At least 95% of a community should be inoculated to stop outbreaks.
However, certain impacted counties have far lower coverage, according to recent data from the Kansas Health Department: only 58% in Haskell, 66% in Gray, and 82–83% in Morton and Stevens. Only 89% of Ohio’s kindergarteners had vaccinations during the 2023–2024 school year, according to CDC data, so the state isn’t doing much better.
“More cases are likely in surrounding areas, especially among the unvaccinated, because of how easily measles spreads,” stated Jill Bronaugh, a Kansas health department official.
One ill person can infect up to 90% of people who are not infected but have contact with them, making measles one of the most infectious diseases. While the symptoms may be similar to a regular cold at first, there may be severe consequences, especially for young kids and individuals with weakened immune systems.
Public health officials now fear that these outbreaks may last for months and potentially threaten the hard-won status of the United States as having eradicated measles if unvaccinated pockets of the nation continue to grow.
Physicians and health professionals have made it clear that you should get vaccinated, stay educated, and act early.
