A health alert for Missouri was issued earlier this month after measles outbreaks were reported in neighboring states amid declining rates of vaccinations.
The health alert from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services urged local health departments to review their measles protocol and remain vigilant.
In neighboring states, 22 measles cases have been reported this year in Iowa, along with 11 cases reported in Illinois and 45 in Kentucky, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Seven cases have been reported so far this year in Missouri, and should that number increase, the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services is prepared, spokesperson Austin Krohn said.
“We are preparing educational materials and communications should a case arrive in Boone County,” Krohn said.
“We also have a surge staffing plan should cases begin multiplying in Boone County. Part of our plan is to collaborate and coordinate with health care providers in the area to limit the spread of the illness.”
The state Health Department said that the measles vaccination rate for children beginning school is 85%, “well below the 95% needed for preventing disease outbreaks in the community and protecting vulnerable populations who cannot receive vaccines,” according to the alert message.
Vaccination rates in Boone County began to decline during the 2021-2022 school year, which Krohn attributed to recent skepticism about the efficacy and necessity of vaccines.
According to the CDC, the most effective way to prevent measles is with two doses of the MMR vaccine. The first dose is usually administered to infants around 12-15 months, and the second should be given to children around 4 to 6 years old.
The U.S. declared measles eliminated in 2000, with fewer than 100 cases reported. In 2026, there have already been more than 3,000 cases, according to the CDC.
The CDC reported that 95% of Missouri’s confirmed measles cases in 2026 were from individuals who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.
Recently, the Missouri DHSS confirmed a case of measles on an Amtrak train from Sedalia to Chicago on Aug. 27, according to a news release. Lisa Cox, communications director of the Missouri DHSS, said no further information has been learned about the case and no new cases have been reported.
