The South Dakota Department of Health plans to deploy newly established mobile clinics to underserved and under-vaccinated rural and tribal areas as part of its response to the spreading nationwide measles outbreak.
This year, South Dakota reported its first measles case in nine years in Meade County in the western part of the state, followed by a second case confirmed last week in Rapid City. The health department has urged anyone who visited a Sam’s Club or the Dakota Senior Medical Center in Rapid City since June 1 to self-monitor for symptoms for 21 days.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne virus that easily infects people without immunity from vaccination or prior infection.
Health Secretary Melissa Magstadt said the “Wellness on Wheels” mobile clinic fleet—comprising five fully equipped vehicles—will provide immunizations, sexually transmitted infection testing (including syphilis), prenatal care, and other support services. The program aims to fill gaps in public health access, particularly in rural and tribal communities.
“We are actively using these tools to reach underserved populations, especially to promote measles vaccination,” Magstadt said. She noted the initiative is funded by federal COVID relief funds, totaling about $800,000, which also support community health worker programs, emergency medical equipment upgrades, telehealth services, and public health infrastructure improvements.
While the state has yet to decide exact deployment locations, counties with the lowest measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination rates among kindergarteners—such as Faulk, Jones, and Hutchinson counties—are likely priorities.
Magstadt also plans to station one mobile clinic at a homeless shelter in Rapid City this summer to improve healthcare access for vulnerable urban populations. She described the mobile clinics as a return to “doctor house calls,” a practice largely phased out in the 1960s due to cost but now recognized for its efficiency and ability to reach more patients.
“Mobile clinics bring healthcare directly to patients and families instead of requiring them to travel to fixed sites, improving access and expanding care options,” Magstadt said.
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