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State health officials have declared the measles outbreak in southwest Kansas over after dozens of cases, primarily among unvaccinated children.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced Thursday that no new cases have been reported in the past 42 days, following a peak of 87 cases. The first case in the state since 2008 was reported in March. Officials cautioned that the end of the outbreak does not eliminate the risk of measles, as outbreaks continue across North America and worldwide.

Eight people were hospitalized, with children accounting for more than 80% of cases and over 90% involving unvaccinated individuals. The outbreak hit Gray, Haskell, and Stevens counties hardest, with Gray County reporting 29 infections. Vaccination rates among kindergarteners have dropped significantly, with MMR coverage falling 10 percentage points in Gray, 14 in Haskell, and 15 in Stevens between the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 school years.

KDHE will continue monitoring for new cases, emphasizing the importance of up-to-date vaccinations as the school year begins. Measles spreads through respiratory droplets and causes fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a widespread rash.