Minnesota facing growing number of measles cases

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota ( WCCO ) -- Measles is much more than a rash. It can lead to deafness, brain damage and death.

The Minnesota Department of Health has reported 46 cases of measles in the state so far this year, which is the most since 2017.

46 may not sound like a lot, but infectious disease experts are worried.

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"We are all very terrified that this is just going to explode because we have such low vaccination rates in certain pockets of our population, which put a lot of kids at risk," said Dr. Stacene Maroushek, pediatric infectious disease specialist with Hennepin Healthcare.

As a result, MDH is accelerating vaccine recommendations.

Normally, one measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is given when a child is 1-year-old and a second when the child is 4 years old. Now, MDH recommends the second dose one month after the first.

The department is not breaking down the cases by ethnicity, but they do say measles is spreading in unvaccinated children in the Somali community. For years in that community, there have been false and unfounded reports that the vaccine is linked to autism.

"There have been millions of dollars in many studies done to basically debunk that," said Maroushek.

Saed Yusuf says his five children are all fully vaccinated. Yusef is a registered nurse and clinical supervisor at Hennepin Health, and he's a Somali American.

"I would say overall, it's just lack of awareness and misconception, misunderstanding and also lack of education," Yusuf said.

Only 24% of Somali American children in Minnesota have both measles shots. That compares to 87% of others in the population, which experts say is also a dangerously low number.

According to the CDC, measles is considered one of the most contagious of all diseases. The virus can remain active in the air and on surfaces for two hours.

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