Lancaster County has reported its first case of measles since 1990.
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department said late Wednesday that a case has been confirmed in an adult who had been appropriately vaccinated for measles and has no out-of-state travel history. No other information about the case has been shared publicly.
“As we have been really tracking the measles across the United States and here at home in Nebraska, we knew that was just going to be a matter of time before we had our first case here in Lancaster County,” Health Director Kerry Kernen said.
Lincoln health officials said it’s possible people could have been exposed to the person with measles at two locations: the Walmart at 4700 N. 27th St. on Jan. 18 from 1-3:30 p.m. and Sunday at Med Elite Urgent Care, 7120 S. 69th St. from 1:30-5 p.m.
“We want people to know that Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads through the air by breathing, coughing, sneezing -- and it is possible that residents who were in the same location as this person may have been exposed,” Kernen said.
Health officials said anyone who thinks they may have been exposed should fill out a risk assessment survey. A link to the survey is also available at lincoln.ne.gov/Measles. Kernen also encouraged residents to check their vaccination status with their doctor or through the Nebraska State Immunization Information System.
The health department will follow up with survey participants who may have been exposed to measles to determine if they should be isolated at home. The department recommends any unvaccinated individuals who may have been exposed quarantine for 21 days.
“That 21 days is really the incubation period,” Kernen said. “For some it could be six, 11 to 12, as much as 21. So really, that 21-day sweet spot is when we want people to just stay away, isolate at home and watch and monitor for signs and symptoms.”
Symptoms of measles include fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes and sore throat followed by a rash. If you have those symptoms, you should call ahead before going to a doctor’s office or hospital.
Unvaccinated children or children who have not received both doses of the MMR vaccine are most at risk. Kernen said the number of unprotected children in Lancaster County has risen. According to data tracking the vaccination status of kindergarteners reported by school districts, 97.2% of kindergarten students were covered in the 2018-2019 school year. In the 2024-2025 school year, coverage dropped to 94.9%.
“I share that because we're starting to see a slight decrease specific to MMR vaccine while we're also seeing a slight increase with exemptions, both medical and religious,” Kernen said. “We're really trying hard to get the education information out to the community on the importance of vaccinations and make sure that we're answering any questions or concerns for the parents or guardians, so that they feel confident in this vaccine and that they know that's going to be the best protection against measles.”
Based on birth year, some older adults may also not be fully vaccinated, and immunocompromised individuals should take extra precautions to avoid contact with the virus. Kernen said measles can cause other health complications that require hospitalization, and even death.
She said the health department is unsure why a vaccinated person contracted measles, but a number of factors could have been involved.
“You get about a 93% protection with that first vaccine; you get about a 97% protection with the second vaccine,” Kernen said. “So, there's about 3% of the population that's just not going to build up that immunity to it. But that's why, within a community, when we think about population health, we talk about herd immunity.”
The Lancaster County case is the fifth measles case in the state in the past month, following four confirmed cases in Platte County in late December and early January. There also was one confirmed case in the state last year in Sheridan County. Before that case, Nebraska hadn’t had a confirmed case of measles since 2017.
There were more than 2,000 measles cases in the U.S. last year and there have already been more than 400 this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.