Kansas Measles Outbreak Grows to 76 Cases Across 11 Counties
June 13, 2025
TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas health officials reported five new measles cases this week, bringing the state's total to 76 confirmed cases across 11 counties as the outbreak continues to spread throughout the Sunflower State. The Kansas Department of Health announced the latest figures Friday as part of ongoing surveillance efforts to track the highly contagious virus.
The Kansas outbreak represents one of nine active measles outbreaks nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other states battling current outbreaks include Colorado, Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas, where the nation's largest outbreak has infected 744 people across 35 counties since late January.
Health officials emphasize that measles is entirely preventable through vaccination with the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The first MMR shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old, with a second dose given between ages 4 and 6. The virus spreads easily through airborne droplets when infected individuals breathe, sneeze or cough, making vaccination crucial for community protection.
Kansas joins a troubling national trend as measles cases climb nationwide amid declining childhood vaccination rates since the pandemic. The CDC reported 1,168 confirmed U.S. cases this year, with three deaths among unvaccinated individuals in Texas and New Mexico. Measles had been considered eliminated from the United States since 2000, but outbreaks continue to emerge in communities with low vaccination coverage.
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