28-02-2025
KC-area health officials share advice after deadly measles outbreak in Texas
LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — A . The disease is beginning to spread across several states and is the first death from this disease in about a decade.
Ray Dlugolecki is the assistant health director at Jackson County Public Health.
He said right now, the county is not seeing any cases associated with the large outbreaks but said that does not mean we're unaffected.
'The risk generally in the Kansas City area remains low at this time,' Dlugolecki said. 'But there are things we can do to be proactive.'
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The Kansas City, Missouri Health Dept. confirmed there are no reports of anyone with the measles in the area.
Dlugolecki said step one in taking precautions is staying updated on your MMR, or measles, mumps and rubella, vaccine.
'The most important tool we have to prevent any sort of severe or significant outcomes associated with measles is vaccination,' Dlugolecki said, 'and so if you are up to date with vaccination, the MMR vaccine in particular, and it generally looks like two doses of MMR, you are very well protected against measles.'
According to the CDC, people who received two doses of the measles vaccination according to the U.S. vaccination schedule are usually considered protected for life against the disease.
More than 120 measles cases have been reported in Texas — with several other cases reported in New Mexico.
'I don't want people to panic,' Dr. Todd Fristo said.
Doctors, like Fristo, typically recommend children receive the first dose at 12 months and the second between the ages of 4 to 6 years old.
In some cases, children as young as 6-months may be able to receive the vaccine.
'So, one dose provides about 93% protection from measles,' Fristo said. 'That second dose when you get it provides about 97% protection.'
Fristo is a family physician with St. Luke's physician group in Independence. He said the measles can cause fever, redness of the eyes, dry cough and rash.
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Public health officials said while most kids will recover from measles — the disease can lead to serious complications.
'We know that children under the age of 12 months really have no protection against the measles. They are too young generally to receive the vaccination,' Dlugolecki said. 'So, it's crucially important that we protect those populations, the children under 12 months and also all of those around us that may be immune compromised.'
The KC region is sitting at about 95% vaccination completion regarding MMR vaccine, according to Dlugolecki. However, he said we do have pockets in community with lower vaccination rates.
Dlugolecki said if you have plans to travel to one of the places dealing with an outbreak it would be wise to rethink it.
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