Unvaccinated Preschool-Age Children Test Positive For Measles: MDH

MINNEAPOLIS — Two unvaccinated Hennepin County siblings were recently diagnosed with measles, Minnesota state health officials confirmed Tuesday.

One of the children was hospitalized due to measles complications.

State and county health workers are notifying people who may have been exposed, but say the risk to the general public from the cases is low.

Exposures are limited to health care and family settings because the children were isolated when symptoms started, officials said.

"If additional measles cases develop as a result of these cases, they will likely occur between now and July 1," the Minnesota Department of Health said.

Early symptoms of measles include:

• A high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes.
• A rash that typically spreads from the head to the rest of the body.

It can take up to 12 days from exposure for someone with measles to develop the first symptoms, officials said. A measles rash typically appears two to three days after the fever starts.

"Measles can be a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death," the MDH said. "If you have symptoms of measles, call your doctor or clinic and they will let you know if you need to come in for a visit."

According to recent data, the percentage of 2-year-olds who received at least one dose of MMR vaccine by 24 months declined from 81.4 percent in 2019 to 79.3 percent in 2021.

“This case emphasizes the importance of getting vaccinated for diseases, such as measles, which can be prevented with vaccines,” State Epidemiologist Dr. Ruth Lynfield said. “Vaccines are extremely effective for preventing measles. It’s important that we work on getting our immunization rates back up where they need to be so that all children in Minnesota are protected.”

Minnesota has had four cases of measles since a major outbreak in 2017, according to a news release. Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, but it is still common in other parts of the world.

On average, Minnesota has one to four cases of measles in people who traveled to countries where measles is more common.

“We need to maintain our high vaccination rates in the United States to make sure measles does not make a comeback in Minnesota,” said Margaret Roddy, section manager for vaccine-preventable disease at MDH.

“As long as there is measles somewhere in the world and people travel, the risk to Minnesota remains. The measles vaccine is safe and effective. Without it, the risk of disease is real.”

The MDH says children should receive two doses of MMR vaccine: the first at 12 to 15 months of age, and the second at 4 to 6 years of age.

Children 6 to 12 months should get an early dose of MMR vaccine if they are traveling to a country where measles is common.

This is a breaking news story. Patch will update this article as more information becomes available.