public health

A community needs a vaccination rate of at least 95% to be adequately protected from measles outbreaks. In Missouri, the rate of vaccinated kindergarteners stands at 90%, while some areas have rates as low as 75%.

Della Lamb Community Services has helped more than 3,000 refugees acclimate to new homes in the Kansas City area since 2014, many facing unique health challenges. A local crew of medical students now helps some refugees navigate the American health care system.

Dr. Sarah Boyd, an infectious disease specialist with Saint Luke's Health System, told KCUR that federal cuts to mRNA research and development could cause a setback in pandemic preparedness.

Through a new partnership with Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center, a rural maternal health clinic will bring doula services to Kansas City’s Westside.

With vaccine skepticism on the rise, immunization rates in decline and public funds disappearing, the country faces its largest measles outbreak since 2019.

Kansas has so far identified 37 measles cases this year — mostly among children — and the first Missouri measles case of the year was reported just last week. Dr. Sarah Boyd of Saint Luke's Health System says vaccinating is the best way to prevent contracting the airborne virus.

The Trump administration canceled more than $12 billion in public health grants last month. Local public health departments are worried about what that will mean for Kansas Citians.

Kansas City-area public health departments are scrambling to make up for lost funds since the Trump administration canceled over $12 billion in federal health grants last month. Local agencies have been forced to lay off staff and halt research projects.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed Senate Bill 29, but the veto was overridden by the Republican-dominated House and Senate. It opens health officials to lawsuits over quarantine decisions and removed their authority to ban public gatherings.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services without warning canceled more than $12 billion in grant funding to states. Those funds, including millions for Missouri and Kansas, paid for public health basics like vaccines for children, infectious disease tracking, and funding for mental health and addiction treatment.

Utah's governor recently signed a bill into law banning the addition of fluoride into the state's public water systems. City councils in Rolla and Hannibal have proposed banning fluoride in response to unsubstantiated claims from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

The new case is in Stevens County in southwest Kansas. It’s unclear if it is connected to outbreaks in New Mexico and Texas.