Commissioner urges vaccination as measles cases rise nationally and in Kansas
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Summary
At the May 1 meeting commissioners were reminded of rising measles cases nationwide and in Kansas and urged residents to follow Kansas Department of Health and Environment guidance and ensure vaccinations; the comment came from Commissioner Hanslick in his role with the county’s public-health responsibilities.
Commissioner Hanslick used his commissioner comments on May 1 to remind the public that the Board of County Commissioners serves as the county board of public health and to urge vaccination amid increasing measles cases in the United States and Kansas.
Hanslick said KDHE has issued an alert and recommended that local health departments share information with providers and the public. He cited national and state case counts from the KDHE alert, saying there are now “more than 900 cases” across the United States in 20 states and that Kansas reported additional cases this week, “another 9 cases, this week mostly in Southwest Kansas.”
Hanslick emphasized that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and KDHE identify vaccination as the primary prevention for measles and encouraged residents to consult KDHE guidance for vaccination recommendations by age. He also noted that the county’s public-health messaging should defer to medical professionals and that officials will monitor federal and state developments affecting vaccine programs.
The commissioner called attention to the role of local public-health authorities and provided resources for residents to contact Johnson County Aging & Human Services and KDHE for more information, stressing the county’s role in communicating guidance rather than issuing clinical recommendations itself.