01-07-2025
How young can kids be vaccinated for measles? Kansas suggests earlier shot
Families have a new way to protect the youngest Kansas residents from measles as cases continue to rise across the country.
The virus has been circulating the U.S. since January, starting in western Texas. So far this year, 36 states have reported at least one confirmed measles case, according to the CDC.
In Kansas, the confirmed cases have been clustered in southwestern corner of the state, though officials say it could have spread because measles is highly contagious. It can take a week or two for symptoms to develop.
The 2025 outbreak is unique because the virus has spread throughout communities, instead of being brought into the U.S. by international travelers.
The virus has been hitting children younger than 5 and unvaccinated people the worst. While there is no cure for measles, the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine protects people from getting the virus. It is 93% effective after the first dose and 97% effective after the second one.
To help keep children safe, Kansas is now recommending families and pediatricians give kids an early measles vaccine. Kansas is one of three states to issue such a recommendation.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment suggests asking your child's pediatrician about getting an early dose of the MMR vaccine. This dose offers protection before your baby would typically be vaccinated. Usually children receive the first dose between 12 and 15 months and the second dose between 4 and 6 years old.
The state now recommends that children living near an outbreak get an infant dose of the MMR vaccine at 6-11 months. Then they can continue with the typical MMR vaccine schedule.
Anyone else who has only received one dose of MMR vaccines should get a second at least 28 days after the first one.
During measles outbreaks, the early MMR dose 'offers early protection and is safe,' the KDHE says.
Health officials do not always give three doses because it might decrease immunity over time due to 'lower initial and long-term antibody responses.'
While the state issues general guidance on MMR vaccines, KDHE says to defer to your pediatrician or local health department's advice.
Steve Lauer, associate chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Kansas Health System, recommends that families get the early dose.
He said that if your baby doesn't get the dose now, 'pay very close attention to the news and reports of any outbreaks and how close that is to Kansas City … and consider the risks of an unvaccinated child or partially vaccinated child getting measles.'
Ask your pediatrician or other health care provider for information on how to get the MMR shot. Some local health departments and clinics have low-cost shots.
Children without health insurance or without sufficient coverage might qualify for free vaccines through Vaccines for Children, a federal program.
On the first Monday of the month, the Wyandotte County Health Department waives their $20 vaccine fee for qualifying children under the age of 2.
There have been more than 1,200 confirmed measles cases in the United States in 2025 as of June 24.
95% of the cases were in unvaccinated individuals or people with unknown vaccine status. The patient had to go to the hospital in 12% of those cases, and children under age 5 were the most likely to be hospitalized.
In Kansas, people have been exposed to measles in an auto parts store, a library and the Wichita airport.
