Nebraska Confirms First Measles Case in Over 30 Years

Health officials urge residents who visited certain locations to assess their risk

Jan. 28, 2026 at 8:23pm

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Nebraska county health officials have reported a confirmed case of measles in Lancaster County, the first such case in the county since 1990. The infected individual is a vaccinated adult who has not traveled outside the state. Health officials are asking anyone who was at specific locations during the identified time periods to fill out a risk assessment survey.

Why it matters

Measles is a highly contagious disease that can spread through the air, so the confirmed case raises concerns about potential community transmission. This is the first measles case in Lancaster County in over 30 years, underscoring the importance of vaccination and public health monitoring to prevent the spread of this disease.

The details

According to the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, the measles case was detected in a vaccinated adult who has not traveled outside of Nebraska. Health officials have identified two specific locations and time periods where potential exposure may have occurred: Walmart at 4700 N 27th St. on Jan. 18 from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Med Elite Urgent Care at 7120 S. 69th St. on Jan. 25 from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Residents who were at these locations during those times are urged to fill out a risk assessment survey.

  • The confirmed measles case is the first in Lancaster County since 1990.
  • Health officials detected measles in Lincoln's wastewater just days before the confirmed case was reported.

The players

Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department

The local public health agency that reported the confirmed measles case and is urging residents to assess their risk.

Kerry Kernen

The health director at the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, who stated that officials knew it was only a matter of time before measles would reach the area as cases continued to spread in the U.S.

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What they’re saying

“As cases continued to spread in the U.S. and were reported in Nebraska, we knew it was only a matter of time before measles would be on our doorstep.”

— Kerry Kernen, Health Director, Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department

What’s next

Health officials are urging residents who were at the identified locations during the specified time periods to fill out a risk assessment survey to determine if they may have been exposed to the measles virus.

The takeaway

This confirmed measles case in Lancaster County, the first in over 30 years, underscores the importance of vaccination and vigilant public health monitoring to prevent the spread of this highly contagious disease, especially as outbreaks continue to occur in other parts of the country.