The South Dakota Department of Health announced Monday the first case of measles in South Dakota in 2025. The Department of Health Reports nationwide, for the first time in five years, there have been over 1,000 cases of measles in a year. This directly coincides with dropping MMR vaccination rates. Medical experts urge people to get the MMR vaccine which is safe and effective in preventing the illness. The DOH reports the measles patient in South Dakota visited several public locations including the Rapid City Medical Center Urgent care waiting room and monument health Sturgis Urgent Care waiting room. St. epidemiologist Dr. Joshua Clayton says measles is one of the most communicable diseases out there.
