MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota public health officials said the measles outbreak in various regions of the U.S. came after the Centers for Disease Control issued a warning last week about 23 confirmed cases nationwide since Dec. 1. The outbreak is being closely monitored.
No measles cases have been reported in Minnesota so far in 2024, and no measles cases were recorded last year. However, Jane Griffith, a senior epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health, said in an interview with KARE 11 that the agency is seeing an increase in measles elsewhere, including an outbreak in Philadelphia associated with hospitals and day cares. “We continue to raise awareness,” he said.
“It's very concerning to see all of a sudden a lot of imports going on in the United States during a similar period,” Griffiths said. “We are working with our clinicians and local public health partners to maintain awareness and strengthen our actions to stay on top of the signs of cases in Minnesota.”
Measles is a highly contagious disease that once infected millions of Americans each year, especially children. However, with the introduction of a vaccine in 1963, measles was almost eradicated from national life. It was officially declared eradicated in the United States in 2000. Entering the new millennium, Minnesota has recorded only 146 total measles cases. In most calendar years, states typically report between zero and two cases, with the exception of a few outliers such as 2017 (75 cases) and 2022 (22 cases).
Measles remains rare, but the nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota, is on high alert after cases have sprung up across the country in recent weeks. ing. He is particularly concerned because measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccination rates have declined across the country since the pandemic began.
“In recent years, people didn't think much about measles, and it was all because of vaccination. But now we're seeing huge resistance to vaccination,” Osterholm said. “My level of concern is very high.”
Minnesota's measles vaccination rate will drop from about 92.6% in 2019-20 to 87.7% in 2022-23, falling short of the goal experts say is needed for “herd immunity” of 95%, according to state data. % is far below.This number is among the lowest in the United States.
However, the statewide numbers don't tell the whole story. A closer look at district- and school-level data for her seventh-graders in Minnesota reveals that vaccination rates can vary widely by region. For example, approximately 75 districts reported 100 percent MMR vaccination coverage in 2022-2023, with the majority reaching levels above 95 percent. However, in other school districts, up to 30 to 40 percent of students were not fully vaccinated with her MMR.
“Certain schools, certain daycare centers, those are the places that are ripe for an outbreak,” Osterholm said. “You actually have to analyze this data almost block by block, city by city, region by region.”
Osterholm praised MDH's measles response and preparedness, but said he expects the state to eventually see cases in 2024.
“The state is doing everything it can to encourage parents to vaccinate their children,” Osterholm said. “The problem is that the number of unvaccinated children is rapidly increasing, and this is definitely a recipe for disaster. It's not a question of if there will be an outbreak of measles in Minnesota; it's a matter of when and where. How bad would it be? And all of this is preventable.”
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