Health department director: No measles reported so far

By Charlene Sims, info@linncountyjournal.com

MOUND CITY – Linn County has no reported cases of measles despite growing concern about an outbreak in southwestern Kansas that has been linked to outbreaks in west Texas and New Mexico. That was the report county health department Director Amanda Snyder gave in her monthly update on the department’s activities to the Linn County Commissioners on Monday, April 7.

As of April 16, Kansas health officials had reported 37 cases in eight counties, according to the Associated Press, however all of the cases remain in the southwestern part of the state.

During her report on April 7, Snyder told the commissioners that one measles case is considered an outbreak since this is a previously eradicated disease.

Snyder said that this is something that the local health department and the state are keeping a very close eye on. She told the commissioners that she will update them as the numbers change.

She said that it is expected that the number will rise and she reminded them that the best way to protect against the disease is the MMR vaccine. People who are not sure if you have had that vaccine can contact the Linn County Health Department office and they can check the state immunization database. Or they will try to track down your immunizations if they weren’t given in the state of Kansas.

Snyder gave the commissioners a rundown of the events being offered by the health department during the next few months.

Danielle Casey, the department’s public health educator, was scheduled to be  with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) mobile health lab at Jayhawk Elementary School. With the mobile lab students get to do different experiments, including some really some fun science. However, there’s health related things there as well.

Other upcoming activities included:

• Food preservation class

• Women and Mens’ Health Week

• National Yoga Day.

• Open enrollment for biometric screenings for Linn County employees

• La Cygne block party at the La Cygne library

• “Keep me Safe” event

• The “rock snake” event that the department did last summer will return.

• The mammogram bus is rescheduled for July 10 after it’s visit was postponed earlier this year because of inclement weather. Snyder said that since all of the appointments had been filled, the hours of the mammogram bus have been extended from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. She said that there are still some appointment times available and to please call the health department and they will get you on the schedule.

 • “Deliciously Diabetic” four-part class for anybody who is currently diabetic or maybe pre-diabetic.

Snyder told the commissioners that she believed two of these diabetic classes are more morning based and two are more afternoon based. She asked that if employees received the results that they are pre-diabetic or diabetic and wanted to attend these classes that are during the work day if they would be allowed to do that and not be penalized or have to use their time off.

She continued that obviously it would have to fit in with their work schedule and if there was something else that was more pressing that they needed to do for work that they wouldn’t be able to attend. 

“I just wondered if that was maybe a possibility?” asked Snyder.

Hamilton asked when Snyder needed an answer. 

Snyder said the class did not start until June.

Hamilton said that the commission would have an answer for her in May.

“Do you know how many employees that would be?” asked Hamilton.

Snyder said she really couldn’t say.                                                                                                                                    

Hamilton said, “We’ll put it on for May 5 and can talk about it in executive session.” 

Snyder outlined the upcoming education opportunities for the staff:

• The National Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Annual Education and Training Conference is later this month. Snyder will present at this conference about “Technology, Innovation & Modernization at the Linn County Health Department.”

• The local health department billing symposium is also later this month and staff will be attending that. 

• The completion of lactation counselor training class by Snyder and Vicki Brown.

• The completion of the seat tech classwork and certification of Amber Minchew and Danielle Casey last Friday.

•Attendance at the Governor’s Public Health Conference by some of the health department staff. At the conference, the governor proclaimed that this week April 7 through 13 is national Public Health Week in the state of Kansas. 

She said the staff is recognizing the vital work of our public health workers. Snyder said there would be a couple of items on the health department’s social media page this week just highlighting the health department and the staff there and what we are here to do for the citizens of Linn County.

Other March highlights are that the “Becoming a Mom” six week class began in March and the nutrition nook is finished and there is some cabinetry there, a refrigerator and a nice little mural.

Snyder reported that the dirt for the community garden was delivered last Friday. They are going to come back this week and add some additional compost and other soil to it. Then we will K-State workers will come out and do some soil sampling before the vegetables are planted. After the vegetables are harvested, they will be left in our lobby at the nutrition nook and any client or anybody from the public can come in and help themselves to whatever is there.

Snyder showed the numbers for the month of March to the commissioners and commented that they had had a very busy month but that the numbers did not reflect that.

She said the numbers for March compared to the last two years are a little bit low for March. Part of that was because the Jayhawk-Linn Health Fair was  canceled this year. That is something the health department has attended the last two years. Our staff has either provided education or brought in a traveling exhibit.

The number for March 2025 client contacts was 127, while in March 2024 there were 259 contacts, and 239 in March of 2023.