Jackson County Public Health - MO

12/01/2025

Our building is closing at 2pm today due to inclement weather. Stay safe and warm! Cold weather tips and resources are available on our website: https://bit.ly/3CW4Fj2.

11/27/2025

We are closed today and tomorrow (November 27 and 28) in recognition of Thanksgiving. We will reopen with normal hours on Monday, December 1. Have a safe and healthy holiday!

11/26/2025

Five minutes of your time today can shape the next five years of maternal and child health programming in Jackson County.

Between now and December 31, we are collecting input from parents, pregnant people, grandparents, and caregivers to share what families need most. Your response will directly guide future events and services that support maternal, infant, adolescent, and family health.

Take the survey today: https://bit.ly/4p6j6Uw

11/25/2025

What do public health history and true crime podcasts have in common? More than you might expect!

By the 1960s, many of the infectious diseases that once ravaged American communities had all but vanished, thanks to modern sanitation systems and medical advancements. But in 1967, Jackson County faced an unexpected challenge when typhoid fever—once thought to be a plague of the past—resurfaced in the area.

An investigation began in July after two seemingly unrelated cases of typhoid were reported. Health officials led an intense investigation. Ultimately, their contract tracing efforts revealed that both women had eaten at the same local restaurant.

The unlikely culprit? A 70-year-old waitress who had unknowingly carried the typhoid bacteria for decades. But thanks to the swift, coordinated response from Jackson County and Independence health officials, a potential epidemic was averted.

Today, JCPH Disease Intervention Specialists continue to solve the mysteries behind outbreaks and coordinate quick responses, protecting public health in our community.

Read the full story at www.jcph.org/100-years.



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📷 Photographs curtesy of our partners at Jackson County Missouri Historical Society and the Kansas City Public Library.

11/24/2025

In this video, Clinical Outreach Coordinator Estela Fernandez shares when to take a flu + COVID-19 test kit and what to do if you’re positive. Visit JCPH.org/flu-shots for more. Have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

11/21/2025

Thanks to our dedicated staff and Harvesters - The Community Food Network, we provided fresh food to 120 households and more than 500 people this week. Check out KMBC 9's full story.

Dozens snaked through a line at Jackson County Public Health on Wednesday, collecting some much-needed fresh produce, boxed goods and canned food.

11/20/2025

Every generation faces its own public health challenges and opportunities. After World War II, polls showed there was only one thing Americans feared more than nuclear war: polio.

The virus could cause lifelong paralysis or even death. In severe cases, it left survivors unable to breathe without the help of an iron lung, a full-body respirator. To make matters worse, polio was highly contagious.

Kansas City’s most famous family played a prominent role in the national campaign against the disease. In 1946, President Harry S. Truman declared polio a national threat and called for coordinated action. Public swimming pools, movie theaters, and summer camps were closed to contain the outbreak. Finally, after years of nationwide research and development, the first vials of the polio vaccine arrived in Kansas City on April 21, 1955.

Before vaccines, the U.S. averaged 45,000 polio cases annually. By 1979, polio was eliminated in the United States.

Today, the fear of polio is a distant memory — and because of the polio vaccine, we have an incredible public health success story.

Continue reading at www.jcph.org/100-years.



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📷 Photographs curtesy of our partners at Jackson County Missouri Historical Society and the Kansas City Public Library.

11/20/2025

Congratulations to KCUR 89.3 for winning the Media Award from the Missouri Public Health Association! We nominated the station because of their extensive and sustained coverage of the opioid crisis and the potential solutions we are pursuing.

“High quality health reporting that’s grounded in facts is critical – especially when it comes to something as serious as the opioid crisis in the county, which has touched so many lives in Kansas City,” said KCUR Director of Journalism Lisa Rodriguez.

We are thankful for KCUR’s partnership in sharing this crucial message with our community.

Jackson County Public Health nominated KCUR for its exceptional and sustained coverage of public health issues, particularly on the opioid crisis in the Kansas City region.

11/19/2025

Our vital records services are closed for the remainder of the afternoon today (Wednesday, November 19). You may continue to order birth and death certificates online, but pickup will not be available until tomorrow (Thursday, November 20).

Thank you for your patience!

Copies of your vital records such as birth and death certificates can be obtained at the Jackson County Health Department.

11/19/2025

The most awkward part of s*x ed is starting the conversation. We've got you covered!

Our free program S*x (Ed) Matters teaches an evidence-based curriculum that gives teens the information, skills, and confidence they need to reduce their risk of STIs, HIV, and pregnancy. Plus, we cover what healthy relationships look like, including consent and setting boundaries. Our instructors introduce these topics with your child and equip you to continue talking at home.

Registration is now FULL for our January 2nd class, but you may sign up for the waitlist. Spots are still OPEN for our March 16th class. Learn more and register at the link below.

👉 https://bit.ly/3OwAmT4

*xedmatters *xeducation *xedmattersmissouri *xed

11/14/2025

Please see this update on measles in Missouri from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

We offer MMR vaccines here at JCPH. Learn more and make your appointment: https://jcph.org/measles/

11/14/2025

Each week this fall, we’re taking a tour through public health history, decade by decade. Next stop? The 1940s.

During World War II, the absence of pediatricians who were sent off to war meant that many children lost access to health care.

In response, our team and community found new ways of working together. In March 1942, the Jackson County Health Department joined forces with the Church Women United of Independence to open the Independence Well Baby Clinic.

Together, they provided free medical services and immunizations from infancy through kindergarten. The Well Baby Clinic went on to support local families for the next 50 years, giving multiple generations a positive start to life.

Today, we work with many organizations throughout Eastern Jackson County to bring our services directly to community members. Then and now, partnerships are key to achieving public health goals.

This story is part of our recent 100th anniversary book. You can continue reading more stories at www.jcph.org/100-years.