Protection is a city in Comanche County, Kansas, United States.

[4] Popular support for a protective tariff in the 1884 presidential election caused the name to be selected.

[6] The town became nationally and internationally known via radio and television in 1957,[7] when the National Polio Foundation chose it as the center for the free distribution of Salk vaccine shots for polio.

[8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.95 square miles (2.46 km2), all land.

[9] The 2020 United States census counted 498 people, 205 households, and 131 families in Protection.

33.7% of households consisted of individuals and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 277 housing units at an average density of 291.6 per square mile (112.6/km2).

36.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

The community is served by Comanche County USD 300 public school district.

[24] Prior to school unification, the Protection Panthers won the Kansas State High School 1A football championship in 1978 and the 8-Man DII football championship in 1983.