Measles case confirmed near Pine Ridge reservation

Health officials on the Pine Ridge Reservation are warning families after Nebraska confirmed its first measles case of the year yesterday. That case just across the border in Sheridan County. The patient is a vaccinated child with no travel history, and may have exposed others at two public locations last week in Rushville and Gordon, Nebraska. Tribal leaders are urging parents to check their children’s vaccination status, as measles spreads quickly. South Dakota’s top epidemiologist says the state’s MMR vaccination rates are now dipping below the national average which is raising concerns. The last measles outbreak in South Dakota happened in 2015.