OLATHE, Kan.— Kansas health officials continue to investigate how 10 people contracted measles. Eight of the cases are in Johnson County.
“It’s still very fluid. Anytime you do a disease investigation it could change every five minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes from day to day,” said Nancy Tausz, the Johnson County Health Services Division Director.
At the health department Tuesday, a dozen staffers manned the phones, answering questions mostly from healthcare providers.
Last week the state released a list of places where people may have been exposed to the disease during certain time periods. The list included an Olathe Aldi’s on 119th Street, but parents like Kevin Caballero are hearing about it for the first time.
“It could affect my kids and from there it could affect myself. Even if it doesn’t seriously infect me, I could pass it to someone to someone who may have not gotten the measles shot or just that outbreak can be serious,” Caballero said.
Infectious disease specialists told 41 Action News if you’ve been vaccinated, you should be in the clear.
“If you have documentation of having measles vaccination after 1967 you should be immune for life, so you really shouldn’t have much worry or concern. Again, it comes if you were never vaccinated or if your children have not been vaccinated because they’re too young,” Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease physician at the University of Kansas Health System, said.
Possible measles exposure
On March 21, an Auburn Pharmacy was added to the list.
According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, if you have visited one or more of these locations on the dates and times listed, you may have been exposed to measles:
- Auburn Pharmacy; 625 E Main St., Mound City, KS; on March 13th from 4:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
- AMC Dine-In Studio 28; 12075 S. Strang Line Rd., Olathe, KS; March 9th from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Aldi’s; 15290 W. 119th St Olathe, KS 66062; on March 2nd from 3:00 to 5 p.m.
- Payless Discount Foods; 2101 E. Santa Fe St, Olathe, KS; on March 6th from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- El Potro Mexican Café; 602 N Pearl St, Paola, KS on March 7th from 4 to 8:00 p.m.
- Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas; 5808 W 110th St, Overland Park, KS on March 8th and March 10th in the morning
- Budget Coin Laundry; 798 E Main St, Gardner, KS; on March 9th from 8 to 11 p.m.
- Olathe YMCA swimming pool and locker room; 21400 W. 153rd St, Olathe, KS; on March 10th from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Bath and Body Works at Legends Outlets; 1803 Village W Pkwy, Kansas City, KS; on March 10th from 1 to 3 p.m.
- Crazy 8 at Legends Outlets; 1843 Village W Pkwy, Kansas City, KS; on March 10th after 1 to 3 p.m.
- Orange Leaf; 11524 W 135th St Overland Park, KS; on March 10th from 3 to 6 p.m.
