Water Damage Restoration in Garden City, KS

The state has identified 37 measles cases, mostly among children. That prompted Kelly to appear in Garden City and urge people to take action.

GARDEN CITY, Kansas — Gov. Laura Kelly visited southwest Kansas Tuesday amid a measles outbreak to urge people in the region to vaccinate themselves and their children.

State health officials have been racing to keep up with the outbreak that may be connected to ongoing measles cases in Texas.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment first reported a measles case in Stevens County in March, stating it was the first measles case in Kansas since 2018. The agency later identified earlier cases starting in January.

“I can't stress how important it is that this message get out to people all over southwest Kansas,” Kelly said at an event in Garden City. “How important it is that we be proactive in our approach to this.”

The state has confirmed 37 cases of measles since the beginning of the year across eight southwest Kansas counties, most of which have been children.

“Particularly as we move through this school year and into the next, we need to make sure that our kids are entering our schools and our day cares fully vaccinated,” Kelly said.

For the public to be safe from the measles, about 95% of the community needs to be vaccinated against the disease, according to the CDC. About 90% of Kansans are vaccinated for measles.

Experts say if you suspect you or your child has measles, it’s best for them to stay home away from other people

The potential for the spread of the infectious disease worsened after Kansas health officials sounded the alarm about measles exposure at the Clarion Inn hotel in Garden City.

A spokesperson for the hotel said only one employee tested positive for measles, and that employee took measures to isolate themselves. They also said it’s unfair to single out the business in a public alert.

But the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said in an email that the agency names businesses when there isn’t a way to notify everyone who might have been exposed. That’s what happened in Garden City.

KDHE said people who were at Clarion Inn in Garden City between April 8 and April 10 should watch for symptoms of measles for 21 days.

Chief Medical Officer for KDHE Derrick Totten said of the 37 confirmed cases of measles in the state, 30 of the individuals had not been vaccinated.

“If one person has measles and exposes others, nine in 10 people who are not immune will catch measles. The key word there being immune,” Totten said.

Totten said the only two ways to become immune to measles are through vaccination or being infected.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that the MMR vaccine for measles is 93% effective against measles after one dose, and 97% effective after two doses.

Kelly and state health officials said they felt it is necessary to emphasize the importance of how to prevent measles, before the outbreak worsens.

The CDC classifies a measles outbreak as three or more cases linked to each other. This makes Kansas one of the most recent states combating the disease. Texas has the largest outbreak, with more than 600 cases. Health experts say measles can lead to serious complications, hospitalization or death.

Southwest Kansas has a large Spanish-speaking population. Hispanic Kansans have a higher uninsured rate, 20 %, than the rate for non-Hispanic White Kansans. They are also less likely to see a doctor.

State health officials say they are hoping to combat this through the help of targeted efforts by local health departments.

State Sen. Bill Clifford, a physician from Garden City, said some local clinics work directly with meatpacking plants that employ thousands in the region.

“We welcome immigrants to our community. Folks don't have access to care or vaccinations where they come from, so that's a big emphasis. The health department is instrumental for providing vaccinations for their families,” Clifford said.

Calen Moore covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can email him at cmoore@hppr.org.

The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy.

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Governor Laura Kelly visited Garden City on Tuesday. It’s the site of the state’s most recent measles case. The main goal of her visit was to encourage those who live in the area to protect themselves by getting the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine.

“I’m here today, and I believe you’re here today for one reason and one reason only, and that is to protect the health of our children,” she said.

To date, there have been 37 measles cases in eight Kansas counties. Most of the cases have been in unvaccinated people.

“The vaccine is absolutely our best, safest defense against this outbreak. Measles is an extremely contagious disease, and it spreads very rapidly,” said Kansas Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dereck Totten.

While the first of two MMR vaccine doses is recommended at 12 months, an early extra dose at six months is now recommended for babies in the eight affected counties and their surrounding counties.

The Finney County Health Department is using a three-pronged approach to address the outbreak: information, drive-through testing, and monitoring. Director Shruti Chhabra said the agency has been working with local health clinics and agencies to make sure people know about the illness and the best way to prevent it.

“We’ve been making sure that our (health) partners, and we are all on the same page,” said Chhabra. “We’ve been sharing information, and they’ve also been proactive in sharing information.”

Sen. Bill Clifford, a doctor and lawmaker representing a large portion of southwest Kansas, including Garden City, believes the reported cases are just the tip of the iceberg.

“We do report 37 cases, but if you talk to anyone in healthcare, there are several people sitting at home with red spots, while one person who is sickest is coming into the emergency room,” he said.

The state is communicating with other health officials to prepare for further spread.

Last week’s warning about a possible exposure at the Clarion Inn in Garden City has been lifted as no new cases have been identified.

Copyright 2025 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is investigating a possible measles exposure earlier this month at a Garden City, Kansas, hotel.

Health officials say members of the public who stayed at the Clarion Inn hotel between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April, 8, and Wednesday, April 9, and between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, may have been exposed.

“The measles virus can stay in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours,” KDHE said in a release Friday morning. “Because the measles virus is highly contagious, anyone who visited the Clarion Inn in Garden City…may have been exposed to measles…”

KDHE says anyone who stayed at the hotel should review their vaccination history.

“People who are not vaccinated and have not previously had measles are especially vulnerable to becoming infected,” KDHE said.

The department also advises anyone who stayed at the hotel to monitor their symptoms for 21 days, or through the end of the day on May 1.

The exposure comes as health agencies across several southwest Kansas counties battle a measles outbreak.

Earlier this week, KDHE reported a total of 37 measles cases. Epidemiologists have traced the first few cases in Kansas to the ongoing measles outbreak in Texas and Oklahoma.

More information about the outbreak is available on KDHE's website.

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WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The Clarion Inn in Garden City confirmed on Friday that one of its employees tested positive for measles. The hotel said the case was identified and handled over a week ago. The confirmation comes after the Kansas Department of Health and Environment informed the public of possible exposure at the hotel.

The KDHE said it is working with local health departments to respond to the measles outbreak in southwest Kansas. As of April 16, a total of 37 cases have been reported. Symptoms may include a fever and a new or unexplained skin rash. The KDHE said anyone who was at the hotel between April 8-10 should monitor themselves for 21 days.

According to the Clarion Inn, the employee who tested positive for measles had no direct contact with hotel guests while on shift and followed all appropriate quarantine and treatment guidelines after learning the diagnosis.

Management at the Clarion Inn said no other staff have tested positive for measles, and necessary precautions have been taken to mitigate any public health risks.

“Clarion Inn management questions why state health officials would publish a press release that publicly named the hotel long after the isolated incident, while not every other location that this individual, or any other individual that has tested positive for measles in Southwest Kansas, has visited,” reads a statement from the Clarion Inn.

Jake Price, in-house counsel for the hotel, said that naming the hotel exceeded the state’s authority.

“State health officials should have learned their lesson on overstepping bounds during Covid-19,” said Price. “Publicly identifying our business causes fear and uncertainty but does nothing to improve public health. If the intent for traceability was sincere, public health officials would publish all locations that infected individuals had been to, but that’s not the case.”

The hotel pointed to Senate Bill 29, a recently passed state law that removes local authority to ban public gatherings during a disease outbreak. The law also allows for civil action for those who believe their constitutional rights may have been violated.

KDHE said measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can be easily spread through talking, sneezing or coughing. The health agency said the best way to curb the spread of the disease is through vaccination.

Clarion Inn Responds to Reports of Isolated Measles Case (full statement)

The Clarion Inn confirms that there has been one alleged, and isolated, case of a positive measles test reported by an employee, which was identified and handled over a week ago. This employee did not have direct contact with hotel guests while on shift. Since learning of the positive test result, the employee followed all appropriate quarantine and treatment guidelines without further incident.

The Clarion Inn management notes that even after the normal incubation period after contact, no other staff have tested positive. The hotel assures the public that they have taken precautions to mitigate any public health risks.

Clarion Inn management questions why state health officials would publish a press release that publicly named the hotel long after the isolated incident, while not every other location that this individual, or any other individual that has tested positive for measles in Southwest Kansas, has visited.

“State health officials should have learned their lesson on overstepping bounds during Covid-19,” said Jake Price, in-house counsel for the hotel. “Publicly identifying our business causes fear and uncertainty but does nothing to improve public health. If the intent for traceability was sincere, public health officials would publish all locations that infected individuals had been to, but that’s not the case.”

Understanding the collateral damage of heavy-handed public health mandates, the Kansas Legislature recently passed a bill that limits the authority to interfere with public businesses and individual choice. Specifically, the new law removes authority from state and local health officials to ban public gatherings and makes them liable for civil action for limiting constitutional rights to health freedoms. Governor Kelly had vetoed the bill, but the State Legislature voted to overturn the veto.

Measles infections are preventable, and much like Covid-19, a positive test result does not always equate to a confirmed case. The vaccine, which is widely available at health departments, physician clinics, and pharmacies at little to no cost, is 97 percent effective. Likewise, individuals who have previously been infected have natural immunity against the virus according to public health sources.

Copyright 2025 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com

GARDEN CITY, Kan. (WIBW) - Possible measles exposures are being reported over the past week at a Garden City hotel, officials announced Friday morning.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Friday announced the exposures may have occurred at the Clarion Inn, 1911 E. Kansas Ave. in Garden City.

The dates and times of the exposures were listed as:

Those who were at the hotel during those times were advised to check for symptoms for three weeks following the date of exposure.

According to KDHE, the measles virus can stay in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours.

Because the measles virus is highly contagious, anyone who visited the Clarion Inn in Garden City on any of the dates and times listed above may have been exposed to measles and should take the following steps:

The KDHE earlier this week said 37 measles cases have been reported in eight counties in southwest Kansas.

The cases have resulted in what KDHE officials are calling a “measeles outbreak.”

According to the KDHE, measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus. It spreads easily when an infected person talks, sneezes or coughs.

People who are not vaccinated or lack immunity are especially at risk of becoming infected.

Symptoms of measles typically begin with a high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes.

Three to five days after symptoms begin, a skin rash develops and usually starts on the face and spreads down to the neck, trunk, arms and legs.

The best way to prevent measles is to get the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

The risk is “very low” for those who have had measles or have been vaccinated, the KDHE said.

However, a few people -- about three out of 100 -- can still get measles even after two MMR vaccine doses if they are near someone who is sick.

For questions, contact the KDHE Epidemiology Hotline by phone at 877-427-7317, option 5, or by email at kdhe.epihotline@ks.gov .

For more information about measles, how to find your vaccine records, and answers to common questions, visit the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Measles Resource Hub at www.kdhe.ks.gov/measles.