news release

September 29, 2022

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Parents urged to make sure their children are up to date on vaccinations

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), in collaboration with local public health agencies and health care providers in the Twin Cities area, confirmed an outbreak among several different families with unvaccinated children between June and September. We are investigating 13 cases of measles. Most of these children had a history of travel to countries where measles is common and endemic. The latest case has no reported travel history, but investigators continue to work to determine how the infection occurred.

All cases are located in the Twin Cities area. The children are between the ages of 2 and early teens, with just over a third of him in his pre-teens. Seven children were hospitalized for measles treatment.

Minnesota’s 13 cases are several times the number of cases the state sees in a normal year. The rising number of cases has prompted health officials to warn health care providers to watch for signs of measles in patients, especially in recent travelers to areas where the virus is circulating.

The latest cases may indicate that measles is spreading in the community, so today health officials are asking parents to include the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine at an early age. I urged them to make sure they have the latest vaccinations.

“The measles virus is highly contagious and we have been very successful in finding unvaccinated people even within groups of potentially vaccinated people,” the state said. said epidemiologist Dr Ruth Linfield. “Measles is a very serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death, so maintaining high measles immunization coverage is very important.”

The MMR vaccine is safe and highly effective against measles, according to Jennifer Heath, MDH’s immunization program coordinator. The virus itself is highly contagious, so community-wide vaccination coverage of at least 90 percent is needed to prevent the virus from causing a large outbreak, Heath said. . In Minnesota, school-age immunizations fell by 3% during the pandemic, largely because people were unable to attend regular daycare visits.

“Even a small drop in immunization coverage means thousands more children who are vulnerable to disease because they are not vaccinated,” Heath said. “If coverage rates in settings like daycares and schools are well below 85% or 90%, it’s an epidemic waiting to happen,” she added.

Overall, the risk to the general public from these cases is low, as most Minnesotans are vaccinated against measles through routine immunizations required for school attendance. Most of the children involved were in isolation when symptoms began, limiting exposure to medical and family settings. Associated measles infects someone else in the community and only infects one unvaccinated patient, Lynfield said.

Measles cases cause concern for health authorities. Measles is easily spread by coughing, talking, or being in the same room as someone with measles. Early symptoms of measles include high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes. The rash usually spreads from the head to the rest of the body. It usually takes 8 to 12 days from contact with a measles patient to the first symptoms (usually fever). The measles rash usually appears two to three days after the fever begins. Call your doctor or clinic if you have measles symptoms. They will let you know if you need to see a doctor.

Measles was declared eradicated in the United States in 2000, but is still common in other parts of the world. Usually in Minnesota he has 1 to 4 cases of measles, but this is commonly seen in people who have traveled to countries where measles is more common.

Because measles outbreaks occur in many countries around the world, and measles is common in other countries, people traveling abroad from the United States should be vaccinated or have immunity to measles. is important. In 2018, he had more than 140,000 measles deaths worldwide, most of them in her children under the age of five.

“To prevent another outbreak of measles in Minnesota, we need to maintain high immunization rates,” said Margaret Rodi, MDH’s section manager for vaccine-preventable diseases. “As long as there is measles anywhere in the world and people travel, the risk to Minnesota remains. The measles vaccine is safe and effective. Without it, the risk of the disease is real.”

The best way to prevent measles is vaccination. Children should receive two doses of the MMR vaccine. The first is between 12 and 15 months old and the second is between 4 and 6 years old. A 6- to 12-month-old child traveling to a country where measles is endemic should get her MMR vaccine early. Regardless of age, it is important to consult a doctor before traveling abroad. Your doctor can make sure you and your family are up-to-date and that no other vaccinations are needed.

MDH encourages you to review your records to confirm that you and your child have been vaccinated with the MMR vaccine. Minnesotans can request an immunization record by visiting Find My Immunization Record.

For more information, visit the MDH measles website.

-MDH-

Media inquiries:

Doug Schultz
MDHCommunication
651-201-4993
doug.schultz@state.mn.us